Renegade Killjoy
by chaosbulldog
Summary: Electric Revenge joins up with the Fabulous Killjoys as she survives in 2019 California. But as BL/Ind hunts them down, will they have what it takes to conquer the demons of their past and survive? Based off of My Chemical Romance's new album Danger Days.
1. Look Alive, Sunshine

_A/N: Well hello, my fellow Killjoys! A little ditty about this story before we get started. Yes, this is based off of My Chemical Romance's brand new (and totally awesome) album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. I was so inspired by this that I've started to work on my own original novel, based off the ideas that My Chem has played with in post apocalyptic America, mind-controlling corporations, and rayguns. Seriously, I have like eight main characters I made up because of this. But when starting to write said novel, I hit a wall due to writer's block._

_But seeing so many stories, I figured I wanted to add my own spin to the Killjoy-verse, and get this stupid writer's monkey off my back. Seriously, he's been throwing coconuts and bananas at me, and it's getting annoying. So here's my shot. Hope you like it, review it, and all that. And that's why it's a crossover (at least in my mind)._

_And now, everyone's favorite part...Disclaimer: All the characters, places, etc., etc. belongs properly to My Chemical Romance and their creative genius minds. And I mean everything that comes from the music videos, Twitter feeds, and stuff like that. However, any original characters are mine, and I rightfully ask that you don't use them without my permission. Or I will find you and hunt you down with my raygun._

_Whew, that was long-winded. Well, let's get on with it!_

Chapter 1: Look Alive, Sunshine

The last 24 hours hadn't gone well for the Fabulous Killjoys, Fun Ghoul in particular. A raid on a BL/Ind supply house had left them with a variety of injuries. And no supplies. Then, they ended up with a flat on Route Guano somewhere between Zones 3 and 4, only to find out that they had no spare. It took a few hours and a heated argument between Party Poison and Jet Star before they decided to call for help. At least Show Pony was on his way out.

Unfortunately he wouldn't be there until the morning.

So that's how Fun Ghoul ended up sitting on the hood of their beloved rusty Trans Am, watching the embers of their slowly dying fire flicker before the dawning sun. It wasn't that he didn't mind having to stand watch while they were sitting targets for any night-patrolling S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W unit while everyone else got to catch a few hours of sleep. He poked at the charred hole in his pants, hissing in pain as the material rubbed against the wound on his shin.

"Damn Drac_s_," he muttered to himself as the pain subsided. He fingered the green-painted gun lying close to his right hand, making sure it was still there. It had become a quick habit to know where your weapon was at all times, especially since patrols of Draculoids had grown in number in the last few months.

He sighed once again, running his hand through his messy black hair. It fell back into place over his face, much to his disgust. This situation needed something to make him feel better.

He began to pat his pockets, looking for the nicotine rush that was going to get him through the rest of night watch. They weren't in his pants or his vest.

"Damn, where are they?" he cursed, trying to shift himself to look around without jarring his injured leg. There wasn't much to see on the hood in the pre-dawn glow, besides his laser blaster and his crumpled up Frankenstein monster mask. He threw his arms up in frustration after the fruitless search.

Sighing in disgust, he gently eased himself off the hood of the Trans, holstering his gun and throwing his mask on top of his head. Careful not to put much weight on his injured leg, he attempted a sort of half-jog, half-limp to the back door without much pain. He fumbled with the car keys, cursing silently as they fell to the desert ground, before eventually finding the right one to open the door.

He could feel his nerves beginning to fray, craving the nicotine rush that was going to take his mind off of everything, that he didn't notice that the lock never clicked to signal it unlocked. His brown eyes scanned over the messy back seat, roaming over the giant blue mascot-like head of MouseKat (which Party Poison had adamantly kept, even though his yellow domino mask suited him just fine), a crumpled up map of the Zones, some empty cans of Power Pup and a mass of blankets on the back seat. Ghoul began to dig around, looking underneath the mascot head, moving the map and discarded cans without much luck in finding his menthol addiction.

"I know they're here somewhere," he muttered, letting his hand rest on the mass of blankets. He roamed the floor of the backseat again, but something now caught his eye.

And it wasn't his cigarettes.

Lying underneath a worn-out blanket on the back bench seat was a pair of scuffed and worn black leather boots with buckles and straps running up the sides, with a pair of grey denim-clad legs attached. Ghoul let his gaze run up over the blanket, where a shock of pink, purple and blue peeked from underneath on the other side of the car. Careful as to not awake the intruder, Ghoul removed the blanket in one swoop, letting it ball up on the seat.

Revealed was the body of a teenage girl. Her bare arms were covered in nasty burn marks, most likely from a multitude of laser shots. Her ripped top hung loosely over her frail frame, the yellow color faded and covered in desert dust. Her jeans were full of holes and burns, hiding what were likely more injuries. He studied her face, noticing how gaunt it was from lack of nourishment. Longer strands of vibrantly-colored hair dyed blue, pink and purple framed her dirty face as she slept on top of a balled-up black and yellow leather jacket.

A sharp intake of breath went through Ghoul as he noticed what was lying next to the girl as she slept. There was no mistaking the two cylindrical tubes attached at her belt running down her left leg, especially when he noticed the hilts near the top. But what concerned him the most was what was clutched in her left hand. The unmistaken appearance of a laser blaster, painted bright yellow, caused Ghoul to complete a 180 before running away from the car.

"Party! Kobra! Jet!" Ghoul shouted, running over to his sleeping comrades. Not seeing any movement due to his shouting, he kicked the nearest body, only to cause more pain in his shot shin. He cursed silently again as he bounced around on one foot.

"What the actual fuck?" Ghoul heard the mumbling voice of Party Poison through his little temper-tantrum. Ghoul could see Party's fiery red hair rise off the ground as he looked up, confused. "What's going on?"

"There's something…something…" Ghoul pointed furiously at the Trans Am, unable to formulate a complete sentence in his panic.

"Saw a _ghoul,_ Ghoul?" Jet laughed, shaking Kobra awake.

"Seriously, there's something in the car!" The three now-awake Killjoys looked each other as Ghoul ran back in an awkward jog.

"I think that injury affected more than his leg," Kobra muttered, grabbing his motorcycle helmet as they followed Ghoul to the car. Jet laughed again as Party punched his younger brother in the arm.

"I hope this is important to wake us all up," Jet yawned. "If it isn't a bunch of Dracs, I'm going to have to shoot him."

Party nodded, trying to hide a yawn himself. There was no way he could handle anything without some coffee or some kind of caffeine stimulant running through his veins at this God-awful hour.

"So what is, Ghoul? What's the emergency?"

Ghoul just pointed into the open door of the car, still unable to form a cohesive sentence to explain the situation. Shrugging, the three remaining looked inside.

"There's nothing in there," Party replied, scratching his head.

"What?" Ghoul turned around to see the bench seat empty, the blanket still balled up where he threw it earlier. "I swear, there was a girl in here earlier."

"A girl?" Kobra's eyes widened. No one could tell behind his aviators, which looked out of place before the sun was up. "Well, that's a first. Sure the methane isn't affecting your brain?"

"But I'm serious! There was a girl in there." Ghoul looked around, throwing things out of the backseat as if she was hiding underneath something so small.

"Does this mean I can shoot him now?" Jet Star asked, annoyed, preparing to grab his blaster from his holster.

"No one's going to shoot anybody," an unfamiliar female voice responded behind the four Killjoys. They turned, to see a teenage girl standing near the trunk of the car, a blaster of her own aimed directly at them.

"Told you," Ghoul muttered.

_A/N: Please review! I'm the kind of sucker who needs to know people like what they read! So please make me happy! REVIEW!_


	2. Give 'Em Hell, Kid

Chapter 2: Give 'Em Hell, Kid

It was an awkward moment as the girl held her ray gun on the Killjoys. A determined look was on her face and in her tired eyes as she looked down the barrel of the loaded gun.

"You're right, no one's going to shoot anybody," Party Poison broke the silence, keeping his hands up in a placating gesture.

"Damn straight," she hissed, her aim not wavering. "Now throw me your keys."

"What? Why do you want our keys?" Ghoul looked at her as if she was asking a stupid question.

She looked at him, her gun following her movement. "No questions, just the damn keys. Now!"

"Just give them to her, Ghoul."

"Are you nuts, Party? She's not…"

"Just give them to her." Party shot a dangerous look at Ghoul. Knowing he wasn't going to change Party's mind, Ghoul threw the keys at the girl's feet.

"Thank you," she bent down to pick up the keys, not letting her gaze or her gun move from the four figures standing near the car. "Now move."

All four backed away, letting the girl get inside the driver's seat. She moved her gun to her left hand as she attempted to get the car started. After a few mutters and turns of the key, she finally got the engine revving.

"Thanks boys," she shouted over the roar of the engine, before shifting the car into drive. A few thundering roars of the engine and spinning of the tires moved the car a few feet. It was a few minutes before the girl shut off the engine, lifting her gun up to aim. Only this time, it was met with four of the same caliber.

"You better get out of the car, sugar," Party responded, a slight smile on his face.

A disgusted look crossed the girl's face as she opened the door to step out.

"I'm assuming you knew this was going to happen?" she asked, keeping her gun trained.

"Something of the sort," Party replied. "You really think a working car could be found in the desert that easily?"

"I was hoping my luck was changing," she replied. "I guess not."

"So how exactly did you get in?" Jet asked.

"Picked the lock. Wasn't that difficult, to tell you the truth."

"How? I was awake the whole night," Ghoul interjected. "I would've heard you."

"Trade secret."

"Look, we're not getting anywhere with questions, are we?" Kobra replied, exasperated. "Why don't you just run off and find another car to steal?"

The girl began to open her mouth with a comment before a roar drowned her out. They all turned towards the sound of an engine, or rather, multiple engines coming down Route Guano. But even in the little light the rising sun was giving off, there was no mistaking what was coming.

"Shit," the word escaped all five of their mouths as the car and motorbikes drew closer to the impaired Trans.

"How the hell did they find me?" the girl wailed, unable to move.

"What do you mean by that?" Party, who had ducked behind the car with the other Killjoys, stared at her.

Her answer was cut off by the sound of laser shots hitting the side of the Trans. One nearly took off her head, if Party hadn't grabbed the hem of her tattered shirt, pulling her down behind the cover of their car.

"Ghoul, Jet, take them out," Party shouted, avoiding the shattering of glass raining down upon them. The two Killjoys nodded, pulling out their blasters and placing their respective mask or helmet on before entering the fray.

"Kobra, keep an eye on her."

"Why me?"

"I don't need protection." Both the girl and Kobra whined at the same time.

"Just do it." Party raised his gun. He quickly checked his pockets, nodding once satisfied that his supply of batteries would hold. Sliding his yellow mask on his face, he quickly joined the fight, leaving his younger brother and their even younger stowaway avoiding stray laser blasts flying over the car.

"I hope you know that I'm not going to save you if you get shot," Kobra fired a few shots over the hood. He quickly ducked back over as a few white lasers flew past where his head was. Even though his helmet was on, there was no way it was going to protect him from a direct shot.

"Wasn't expecting you to," she replied, taking out a Draculoid before ducking behind the car, avoiding shots of her own.

"Seems like you've done this before," Kobra commented, getting in another few shots and ghosting a few Dracs in the process.

"Gotta survive somehow in this hell hole," she responded, matching the number of Dracs Kobra dusted.

They repeated the same process for a few minutes, taking out Draculoids before taking cover behind the car. The odds became more favorable the longer the battle lasted as Drac after Drac fell to the desert floor. It at least gave Kobra and the girl more time to shoot before having to duck.

It was during these times blasting Dracs to kingdom come that allowed the girl to look at the men whose car she tried to steal. The closest one to her had a motorcycle helmet on, hiding his identity. His dark jacket shined from wear in the light of the rising sun, which matched his dark-colored jeans. The faded printing of the American flag with a black widow spider added a bit of color whenever his back was to her. His empty shoulder holster flapped as he swung around, his blue blaster firing.

Not too far from him, the one with the strange-colored Frankenstein monster mask had just thrown three Dracs off of him. His yellow and black baseball-style shirt and olive vest were covered in dust as he fired off quick shots from his green blaster. She wasn't sure, but it sounded like a laugh from him when all three hit the ground dead.

The third, who she presumed was the leader, was blasting shot after shot, leaving nothing alive in his wake. There was no mistaking the unnatural red color of his hair, tangled and greasy, framing his soft face. Even from this far away, she could see the grin on his lips, shooting each Draculoid in his way. She was sure the same feeling was shining in his eyes, hidden by a yellow mask with black diamonds. His blue leather jacket hugged his frame, as well as the dusty grey skinny jeans on his legs.

She ducked back down, changing the battery in her blaster after realizing she was firing blank shots. While waiting for her gun to charge, she couldn't help but look at the guy who was "watching" her. _What was his name, Kobra?_ His painted motorcycle helmet looked strange with the words "Good Luck" scrawled across. It was a wonder how he was able to see out of it clearly. The red leather jacket framed his very thin body structure, allowing her to see a yellow zebra-striped shirt peeking out from underneath. His thin frame was accented even more with the skinny black jeans on his legs and the knee-high boots. But he made up his lack of body size with the way he was blasting Dracs, much like the red-haired leader. The red gun in his hand was taking down Drac after Drac before he took cover for the umpteenth time.

"You okay?" his voice couldn't hide the smile that was under the helmet.

"Just needed to reload." She stuck her tongue out, as if she was ten years younger than her actual age.

She stood back up, firing off another round of blasts, evening the odds. A satisfactory smile crossed her thin lips as another Draculoid fell, dusted. But it lasted a few seconds, as she felt the end of a gun in the small of her back.

"Drop it," the unmistaken monotone drawl of a Draculoid echoed in her ear. She let her yellow blaster fall from her hand, landing in the desert sand at her feet. She put her hands up, chancing a glance to her left. The man in the red jacket was in the same predicament as her, as she watched his red blaster fall to the ground.

A tight hand grasped around her neck from behind as she was dragged out in front of the car, the gun being forced under her chin. She figured from the hiss coming from her left the man in the red jacket was being manhandled the same way.

In an act of desperation, she struggled in the grip of the Drac, only to have its hand clench tighter around her neck.

"Stay still," it hissed, drawing its gun closer to the base of her skull.

It only took a matter of seconds before the Drac let go of her neck. Its arms flailed spastically as it fell to the ground. As it fell, she was able to grab its blaster, shooting it straight between the eyes before turning and shooting the other Drac holding the helmeted Killjoy.

"How'd you…" he stammered, sliding his visor up.

She held up her right hand, which was now covered in a strange sort of black glove, with blocks of shining metal and ribbons of wire connecting one another. The silver plates on her fingertips and palm shined in the morning sunlight. She wiggled her fingers, letting the wires connecting hit each other.

"A little invention of my own," she smiled. She walked over, sliding his dusty laser blaster back into his hands.

"I think you dropped this," she winked before running back into the fray. Kobra just stared after her as she ghosted a few more Draculoids in her way.

_Who is this girl? _he wondered for a few seconds before the situation called to his attention.


	3. This is the Best Day Ever

Chapter 3: This is the Best Day Ever

"Well, this made for an interesting morning now, didn't it?" Ghoul took a big drag of his cigarette as he sat cross-legged on the hood.

Kobra just nodded, staring off to the horizon.

"I swear, there's nothing better to start the day than killing a few Dracs before breakfast," Ghoul continued, letting the cigarette hang lazily off his lips. Kobra just stayed silent, still gazing uninterestedly off in the distance.

"You ok, dude?" Ghoul waved his hand in front of Kobra's sunglasses before getting it smacked away.

"You don't have to be such a killjoy, Mikey," Ghoul muttered, the corners of his mouth twisting into a smile.

Kobra turned around to give Ghoul a big slug to the upper arm.

"You had to go there, didn't you? And don't use my real name!"

"What do you think?" Ghoul raised his eyebrows, the smile growing. The stupid look on Ghoul's face caused Kobra to chuckle.

"Thanks for that," Kobra gave a small smile.

"Now seriously, what's up with you? I haven't seen you this out of it since…well…you know," Ghoul stammered, not wanting to broach such a touchy subject before noon.

Kobra turned around. His gaze landed on his older brother and other best friend trying to get the flat tire off the car. Their stowaway was helping as well, helping Jet get the lug nuts off the wheel.

"Her?" Ghoul asked. "Seriously?"

"I know it's stupid, but…well, I don't know," Kobra could feel his thoughts circling in his brain. How could you explain that some teenage girl had one-uped you in battle? And without using her swords, which were such a strange choice in weaponry. He had a hard enough time now trying to one-up his brother.

"Well, she sure isn't like any girl I've met. And I've met a few," Ghoul threw his cigarette on the ground.

"Right," Kobra dragged out the word. Ghoul punched him on the shoulder in return.

"We could use someone like that, you know. She seems crazy enough."

"They always do." Ghoul slid off the hood, giving his body a good stretch.

"Are you two done having girl time over there, or are we going to have to do all the work?" Party asked, wiping the sweat off starting to get into his eyes.

"You seem to be handling it quite well," Ghoul leaned against the passenger side door, another stupid grin on his face. Jet Star just threw an oily rag at him, landing squarely on his face. The sight caused Kobra, Party and Jet to start laughing.

"Very mature, you guys" Ghoul commented before pulling the rag off his face, leaving oil stains marking his already dusty face. It just caused the Killjoys to laugh even harder. Even Ghoul chimed in later after taking a look in the side mirror of the Trans-Am.

It took a while before the Killjoys could catch their breath from all the laughing. Jet Star, however, noticed that their stowaway had settled herself a bit away from them. She sat on the flat tire they had been working on earlier, fiddling with something in her lap.

"You doing okay?" his voice was full of concern as he crouched down, pushing his aviators to the top of his head. The girl looked up at him, somewhat haphazardly trying to hide what she was working on.

"Yeah," she muttered. There was no denying the tiredness in her voice, although she had finally gotten somewhat of a decent night sleep, the first in weeks.

"Didn't expect such a big group of Dracs to ambush us this morning, to be honest," he commented, sitting down next to her on the ground. "Good thing we were awake."

"Sure," her one word answers continued. She returned to work on whatever she was fiddling with in her lap.

"I don't think we ever got your name today," Jet continued to make small talk, watching her fingers work with the mess of wires, metal and cloth.

"Never gave it to you."

Jet sighed. _She's a stubborn one_.

"I figure you wouldn't trust us. After all, we shouldn't really trust you as you tried to steal our car earlier. I wouldn't trust you if I was in that situation."

The girl sighed before she looked back up at the frizzy-haired Killjoy. This close to him, she could see the genuine concern in his coffee-colored eyes and in his oval face. "Then why are you talking to me?"

"Because we really do owe our lives to you. If Fun Ghoul hadn't found you and woke us up, we might have been easy target practice."

"You really expect me to believe that bunch of bull?" She raised her eyebrows .

"I'm not the best liar in the group, I guess," Jet admitted. "That's more of Party's job, anyway."

"That's for sure." Both Jet and the girl looked up, only to see a silly grin rivaling that of Fun Ghoul's on Party Poison's face. "But he's right. We shouldn't have any reason to trust you, but you held your own out there. I've never seen someone shoot like that before. And from what I hear, you kept my brother alive for at least a few more hours."

Party crouched down, looking directly at her. His hazel eyes shined in thanks through the stringy red hair hanging over his face. "Since you helped us, I think we can help you. But only if you're willing."

She could feel tears sting her eyes before they began to run down her face, creating clean pathways through weeks worth of dust and grime. After weeks of running, surviving on stray lizards and cacti, avoiding as many S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W exterminators cruising in the Zones, she saw salvation. She quickly wiped away the tears with her filthy yellow bandanna before looking up at the four faces of the Fabulous Killjoys.

"You'd really take in a renegade like me? Some crash queen who doesn't know what she's doing?"

"I think we can take the risk," Party offered his hand. She gladly accepted it as he helped her up.

"Why don't we back up and introduce ourselves, without something trying to kill us?" Jet Star began, lowering his shades. "I'm Jet Star."

"Fun Ghoul," the shortest of the four waved, the constant silly grin still on his face, causing the corners of her lips to turn up.

"I'm Party Poison," the red-haired man replied next, adjusting his mask and bandanna unconsciously, before pointing to the blond-haired man she had shot Dracs with earlier. "And this is my little brother, Kobra Kid."

"_The_ Kobra Kid," he couldn't help but overly emphasize the _the_ in his name. "And thanks, for what happened earlier."

The girl gripped his offered hand in thanks, a smile briefly crossing both of their faces. "I suppose I should introduce myself now, since we're making pleasantries."

She stood up straight, clutching the two hilts of the swords strapped to her belt with her left hand while letting the right sit on the butt of her holstered yellow pistol. "I'm Electric Revenge."

"And there's our fucking ride," Ghoul couldn't help but shout as he pointed off in the distance. The rest of the group turned as he ran down to the road, waving his hands wildly into the air.

"Finally," Jet sighed, as Party and Kobra made their way down the hill to join Ghoul. "You'd think it wouldn't take almost 18 hours just to get from Zone 2 to here."

"Where exactly is here?" Electric couldn't help but wonder.

"Somewhere between Zones 3 and 4. Not sure since there isn't a town around here for miles." He scratched his head as the light blue panel van started to slow down near the other three Killjoys. "How long have you been on your own?"

"Can't say," she answered truthfully. It had been weeks since the attack, and the last time she saw…him.

"You ok?" Jet asked for the second time in an hour. Tears had started to fall from Electric's eyes again.

"What? Oh…" she hastily wiped the away, sliding her red-tinted goggles over her shining green eyes. "It's just the sun getting to me, that's all."

"Hey, you two! This wheel isn't going to move itself, you know," Party shouted up the hill.

"Come on Jet Star," Electric said a bit too enthusiastically as she started down the hill.

"Coming," Jet Star shouted after her, starting his descent. There was something strange about Electric Revenge, he could feel it inside himself. She was hiding something, and he was damned if he wasn't going to find out what.


	4. You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us

Chapter 4: You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison?

"Now, now, 351624. Are we going to have to be uncivil this morning?"

The question hung uncomfortably in the air, going unanswered once again. With a wave of a hand, the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed within the soundproof room. A couple of grunts accompanied.

Another wave of the hand ceased activity, sending the three S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards back to their positions by the heavy steel door, standing at attention. The Chief Exterminator looked up from the files he had spread over the steel table he was perched on, down at his captive audience of one. A small smile creeped onto his grey lips, taking in the slouched over figure sitting mere feet away.

"I expect an answer, 3516…"

"The name's Chemical," the words were barely audible from the young man sitting in the chair. He slowly lifted his head, a glare rivaling that of the Chief Exterminator's being returned by hazel eyes.

"It's Chemical Skeleton. " He smiled, barely cringing as paint shot from his broken nose throughout his whole face. "I'm not one of your numbered lackeys."

The Exterminator dropped his smile, not amused. A small guffaw of amusement came from Chemical.

"That's enough, 351624." The Exterminator's patience was starting to wear thin. Three weeks, and he still hadn't broken. "Answer the question."

Chemical leaned back, adjusting himself on the uncomfortable wooden chair he was bound to. It creaked under his weight as he moved, letting his head settle against the back. But it wasn't before Chemical felt his head slam into the hard wood as the Exterminator's cold hand gripped his jaw, pinning him down.

"Answer me." His satisfaction returned as the sound of wheezing breaths escaped Chemical's mouth.

Chemical could feel the oxygen begin to diminish as his windpipe was forced closed by the steel grip of the Exterminator. His broken nose wasn't helping much in the situation either. Black spots began to creep around the corner of his vision, the pale face of Chief Exterminator Korse beginning to blur.

"Sir, we have a situation." The mechanical human voice of one of the guards barely broke into Chemical's diminishing consciousness. He felt the heel of the Exterminator's hand grind even harder into his throat, the fingers bruising the skin along his jawline.

"Whatever it is can wait, 91603."

"It's about the Killjoys, sir."

Chemical took a gaping, but satisfying breath before coughing as Korse stood. He glared at the one who dared to interrupt him.

"What is this about the Killjoys?" He spit out the last word, making it sound poisonous.

"Patrol C reported earlier this morning about sighting an abandoned car matching the description in the database outside of Zone 3. Due to protocol 178, they were to engage…."

"I know about the protocol! What else have they reported?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Nothing?"

The guard became visibly nervous. It may have been "rehabilitated," but it was still human in some respects. "All communication has ceased since 0730. But that's not the only thing they said before we lost communication, sir."

The guard swallowed audibly, crumbling under the authoritarian glare of Korse. "Besides the target Killjoys, a female was visually reported on the scene."

"The young girl?"

"No, sir. An older female, around the age of 16 or 17. She was reported to be carrying non-standard weapons."

Korse let a small smile cross his face as he patted the shoulder of the guard. "This is good news, 91603. Good news." He looked back at his bound captive, the malicious glare back in his steel eyes. He returned to look at the blinding white mask of the Draculoid in front of him. "Tell Patrol A they are to cease patrol and return here. I will be joining them. We leave at 1100 for Zone 3." He quickly exited the room, the heels of his boots clicking on the concrete floor as he passed the two saluting guards posted on each side of the door.

"Oh, and 91603? Show _Chemical Skeleton_ my thanks."

* * *

"Do you think he's going to wake up soon?"

"Do I look like a doctor to you?"

"Do you want me to stop asking you questions?"

"Oh shut up, Laser."

The sound of two voices broke through the blackness. Chemical opened his eyes, only to be blinded by the harsh fluorescent lights above him.

"Welcome back to the living, Chem," a tenor voice rang from his left. He could sense someone crouched down next to him.

"What…what happened?" Chemical weakly asked. He adjusted himself to sit up. He felt a hand push him gently back down.

"Take it easy. You came in knocked out cold and bleeding pretty badly." Chemical opened his eyes, slower this time, eventually to gaze on the concerned face of one of his cellmates.

"Rocket?"

"Well, I can rule out lobotomy as what they did to you," a small smile crossed Rocket Revolver's face as he continued to scan Chemical with his toffee-colored eyes. "But whatever they did, it was pretty bad."

"Where's Laser Shot?"

"Right here, buddy." Chemical looked over to his right. He smiled as he saw his other cellmate clean up some remaining scraps of bandage and disinfectant.

"Apparently those bastards still want you alive," Rocket replied, watching Laser throw the scraps near the corner of their cell. "Threw you in here with some meds and left without a word."

"Creepy motherfuckers, those S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/Ws," Laser crouched down. "Ok to sit up?"

"I should be," Chemical let his friends take his arms as they gently eased him up into a sitting position. He felt a bit light-headed, but the feeling passed rather quickly.

"Interrogation never went this short before with you. Something happen?"

"Get me up to bed?"

Laser and Rocket helped Chemical stand, leading him over to the single, plastic-covered cot against the wall. They sat down, one on each side, giving Chemical time to adjust to all the movement.

"So what caused them to beat the living shit out of you?" Rocket was the one to break the silence.

"What do you think?" Chemical half-smiled for a second, before pain in his cheeks became too much to handle.

"You are one stubborn son-of-a-bitch, you know that?" Laser laughed.

"But they've never beat him this badly before." Rocket interjected. "What's the occasion?"

"Bunch of dead Dracs out in Zone 3, courtesy of the Killjoys."

"The actual Killjoys?" Rocket's eyes bulged at the question.

"I would assume so," Chemical clutched his head, cringing as more pain shot through his skull. He could feel multiple bumps under his mandatory short hair beginning to form.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Jeez, RR. Would you let the dude rest?" Rocket deadpanned at Laser.

"Guys, I mean it. I'm fine."

"I would feel better if you weren't holding onto your head like it was about to fall off," Rocket moved to crouch down in front of Chemical. Chemical couldn't help but slightly smile, watching Rocket's eyes scan over his face.

"Look, whatever happened is probably a good thing," Laser replied. "Korse has been getting worse the longer you've been here."

Chemical didn't reply to Laser's comment. The same thought had been plaguing him the last week or so. Each "interrogation" had been lasting longer than the previous. And it didn't help that there was no word on…her.

His baby sister…

…at least not until today.

"Becca." The name provided him almost a renewed strength as he looked up.

"What about her?" Rocket asked, confused.

It all clicked.

"She's alive."


	5. Headfirst for Halos

_A/N: I have to take some time and thank everyone who has been leaving kind reviews! You have no idea how awesome it is to hear so many positive comments from you! If you're a reader, feel free to join in and review! I can take it!_

_Now back to the story!_

Chapter 5: Headfirst for Halos

Jet Star couldn't help but keep his eyes on Electric Revenge as they changed the tire on the Trans. Well, as Party Poison, Fun Ghoul, and Kobra Kid changed it. He just stood near the trunk of the car, looking down the sand dune at their newest "member".

"You don't trust her. Do you, Ray?" Jet slightly jumped as Party's voice broke into his thoughts.

"Sorry about that."

"It's ok," Jet sighed, looking back down at the blue van. Electric had settled herself on the floor of the van, looking out the open side door. Show Pony was standing next to her as he leaned against the door, taking in the mid-morning sun. It was strange to see a pair of dusty black boots paired with his bizarre polka-dotted tights and half shirt instead of his usual pair of roller skates.

"So," Party dragged out the word, "is there a reason you need to keep an eye on her? That's what I have Ricky doing." Party looked at Jet, his eyebrows rising slightly over the top of his goggles. The sun had gotten high enough in the sky that no one would dare walk around without some protection over their eyes.

"There's just something about her that's bugging me," Jet shook his head, his aviators sliding down his nose. "I just can't put my finger on it."

"We'll have some time to figure that out, since Gerard has so kindly offered her to join us." They turned around, ignoring the disgust in Kobra's voice. Kobra stood, dusting his hands on his dark jeans.

"Would you rather have her roaming around, waiting to get dusted by the Drac patrols?" Party asked.

Kobra crossed his arms, averting his eyes from those of his brother's.

"What's done is done. She's joining us, at least for the time being," Jet broke in, hoping to avoid an argument from erupting.

"We're coming back to this conversation later," Kobra muttered, loud enough for Party to hear, as he walked to the passenger seat. He promptly plopped down on the seat, digging out one of the many magazines littering the floor of the car to read.

"What's his problem?" Jet asked, scratching his head.

"I think he's jealous," Ghoul looked up from his position on the ground, a mischievous smile on his face. "You saw how that girl totally kicked ass. He's got competition."

"I can hear you, you know," they heard Kobra from behind his latest issue of _Murder_.

"Let's just get to Dr. D's." Party was getting to his wit's end. "The sooner we meet up, the sooner we'll figure out what to do with Electric."

Fun Ghoul started to get up off the ground, only have his injured leg crumple underneath him. His hand slammed hard onto the side of the car as he caught himself from falling back to the ground.

Party ran over, lending Ghoul a shoulder to lean on. Ghoul winced in pain as he gingerly tried to place weight on his injured lower leg. Jet crouched down in front, lifting up the leg of Ghoul's pants to assess the situation. The bandage that they had wrapped around his leg the night before was becoming suspiciously pink and yellow near the wound.

"It may be getting infected," Jet replied, getting up and allowing Ghoul to grab onto him for balance. "Those medical supplies we had weren't exactly sterile."

"Just fucking great," Party Poison muttered.

"Hey, it's not like I went up to the Drac and asked 'could you shoot me in the leg?'" Ghoul replied.

"Let's just get out of here before something else happens," Party helped Ghoul hobble over to the passenger door. Kobra looked over the top of his magazine, raising his eyebrows.

"Mikey, go tell Ricky we're heading out as soon as possible." Party looked down at his brother.

"Why do I have to go?"

"Just fucking do it."

Kobra threw down his magazine. He looked at his brother for a few seconds, before pulling up his bandanna across his lower face and shoving past his fellow Killjoys.

* * *

"Does it seriously take four grown men to change one tire?"

"Not that I know of," Show Pony replied. He shook his blue polka-dotted helmeted head before looking back down at the former stowaway.

Electric could feel Show Pony's eyes gaze at her, hidden behind the visor. It didn't help that she saw the same look coming from Jet Star. She shifted uncomfortably on the floor of the van.

"Is there a reason you're staring me down?"

"No reason," Show Pony shrugged. His smooth voice sounded a bit too sincere.

Electric curled up her legs, finding the dust sticking to her knee-high boots somewhat fascinating. _I should be used to the strange stares by now_, she morosely thought, picking off individual grains of sand from the buckles lining the sides.

"Well, we should be ready to go." She looked up, seeing Kobra walking down the hill.

"About time," Electric muttered, laying her head on her knees.

"What's with you?"  
"Nothing. Just tired." She chanced a glance at Kobra from behind her goggles. Whether he believed her or not, he wasn't showing it behind his mirrored aviators or his yellow bandanna with a pair of frowning clown lips with a blue X over them.

_Stupid poker face._

"So what's the plan now?" Show Pony stood up straight.

"Sounds like we're heading over to see Dr. D and regroup. Ghoul needs to get his shot leg fixed before we even attempt another go."

"I'm heading back the same way. Kinda need to, since I'm borrowing his van." The scantily-clad lady-boy patted the sliding door he was leaning against earlier. "Want me to take Electric? You guys are already tightly packed in the car."

Kobra nodded slightly. "Why don't you? I'll let Party know." He took a look at the curled-up form of Electric, before leaning over to Show Pony.

"And keep an eye on her. There's something off." He spoke under his breath.

"So I'm not the only one?"

Kobra shook his head slightly.

"If there's something you want to say, why don't you share it with everyone present?" Electric tiredly spoke, looking up from her lap.

"We'll see you guys in a little bit, I guess," Kobra turned and left.

Electric looked up at Show Pony, who had once again resumed leaning against the door, looking west down Route Guano.

"So what was so important that you two couldn't share?"

Electric frowned as her question went unanswered. Show Pony hadn't even acknowledged that she spoke. She stood up, giving her body a good stretch as she strode out into the harsh sunlight.

"I'm getting really sick of you guys…" she started only to be cut off by Show Pony raising a white mesh-gloved hand. She rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, I would have been better off…" She looked out in the direction Pony was facing. Off in the distance, a cloud of dust was billowing up on Route Guano. It wasn't until they got visual evidence of a caravan of white motorbikes being led by a black car off in the distance did anyone speak.

"Not again," Electric whined. Show Pony ignored her as he ran up the hill.

"Draculoids!" he shouted. The remaining Killjoys outside the car took one look down the road, confirming Pony's statement.

"Pony, get yourself and Electric out of here!" Party shouted, sliding his red and black bandanna over the lower part of his face. The other Killjoys followed suit, as Jet and Kobra got in the car. "Get off of Route Guano as soon as you can. We'll meet up with you at Dr. D's."

"And you?" Show Pony asked, watching Party climb across the painted hood.

"We'll get them to follow us. Get going!"

Show Pony heard the car roar to life as he ran back to the van.

"Electric, get in!" he shouted, pulling out a pink blaster from the inside of the door. He quickly checked his battery power, smiling under his helmet when it read full. He heard the side door of the van slide shut as he ran around front, nearly missing shots as he climbed in the driver's side.

The engine had barely started as he stepped on the gas, spinning the tires and shooting sand in the air. Electric had climbed into the front, only to be jostled and slammed into the seat as the van returned to the pavement.

"Watch it!" She glared at Show Pony after landing on her swords.

"Are they behind us?"

Electric stuck her head out the open window, grabbing tightly to the sides of it. "If you're wondering about Party and the rest of them, then yes…" She quickly pulled her head in, narrowly avoiding a laser as it passed by outside.

Pony nodded, pressing harder on the gas. The needle on the accelerometer shook around 90 miles an hour.

"Think we can outrun them?" Electric asked.

"It may not be flashy, but there's a reason this bucket has survived so long," Pony held out his blaster in Electric's direction as he drove one-handed.

"You might need this."

Electric hesitantly took it. She pulled out hers as well, lightly holding each in her fingerless-gloved hands. Even under the visor, she could see the determination in his eyes as they drove.

"Here they come."

She looked at the passenger-side mirror. The Trans-Am and the Killjoys inside were doing their best holding back the oncoming swarm of Draculoids. She could see Kobra hanging outside the passenger window, while Jet used the open roof to take aim, directing a barrage of lasers behind them. Even Party shot blindly behind him as he drove one-handed, while Ghoul had attempted to take perch by Jet, but was hanging on awkwardly to the roof, avoiding putting any weight on his leg. But it wasn't enough as four Dracs on motorbikes sped past the Trans, their sights set on the van.

Taking a deep breath as she slid her yellow bandanna over the lower part of her face, Electric leaned out, letting her stomach support her on the window sill. She smiled as she clicked the safeties off, firing her own storm of lasers into the crowd. A few shots to the front tire took out the first Drac, sending it to the pavement as its bike skidded to a stop. She let out a whoop of excitement.

"We're not done yet," she barely heard Show Pony over the rushing wind whistling past her ears. She quickly took out another Drac, watching its body hit the ground, unmoving, only to barely catch herself from falling out the window as the van swerved.

"What the hell?" she screamed, landing back on the seat.

"Sorry," she heard him yell as he swerved to the left. A resounding _thud_ near the back quarter-panel followed before he straightened out, continuing down the road.

"If you do that again, warn me. Here," Electric clicked the safety on Show Pony's blaster before throwing it on the dashboard. She quickly repositioned herself, moving to sit on the window ledge. She felt the heat of a few lasers graze past as she grabbed the roof of the van with her right hand, moving her yellow blaster to her left. Her aim was accurate and lethal at this elevation, sending more Draculoids crashing to the pavement.

"I think we're in the clear," she shouted to Show Pony through the open window. "I'm coming back in."

Show Pony glanced at the passenger-side mirror, his eyes opening wide as a white blur grew in the mirror.

"Look out!"

Electric had barely looked up and aimed her blaster before a searing pain shot through her left shoulder. A scream escaped her lips. Her gun discharged a blast, flying wide right past the Drac quickly approaching. She almost lost her blaster as her arm swung uselessly backward. She clutched her left arm as she slid back in as Show Pony moved to swerve the van.

Satisfied once he heard a _thump_ on the right side, he took his first look at Electric. There was no mistaking that the close-range shot had hit her shoulder and caused damage, but it luckily wasn't a clean shot through the center. Even so, shiny, sticky blood began to leak onto and stain the yellow jacket.

"Hold on, Electric," Show Pony threw the cruise control on. He quickly unbuckled his helmet, throwing it to the floor. She was starting to sweat and shake as she clutched her bleeding shoulder. Crimson was beginning to stain her hand as Show Pony ripped the bandanna from around her face. It was awkward as he drove one-handed, balling the fabric in his hand, but he was eventually able to have Electric press it over her wound.

"Pony?" her voice sounded weak, as her breaths became shaky. She could barely keep her eyes open as the pain traveled throughout her body.

"Come on Electric. Stay with me," Pony calmly scolded her, dividing his attention between the road and her.

"You have pretty eyes," she slightly smiled as her vision began to blur. _I just need to sleep this off. Sleep is good..._

Her world faded to black.


	6. The Ghost of You

Chapter 6: The Ghost of You

The white-stained walls echoed the soft snores of Chemical's two roommates. He was glad that lights out had come. The afternoon had dragged on, as Rocket continuously questioned and pestered him about a possible concussion. At least Laser was there to run interference and try to move onto other topics of discussion.

Chemical ran a hand through his short dirty-blond hair, letting it slowly trail over the multiple bumps he had sustained earlier from getting his head smashed in by overzealous S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards. Everything that happened after Korse left in a hurry eventually came back to him throughout the afternoon.

And it wasn't pretty.

At least now he had some quiet to think clearer. He couldn't believe what slipped from that Drac's mouth during interrogation. It had given him some renewed hope that there was someone out there who would carry on, until Rocket pointed out that she probably thought he was dead. It was probably true, too…

"_Blaze, can we stop now?" He rolled his eyes as he heard his sister whine for the umpteenth time that day. She had been going on since they left the previous town on the outskirts of Zone 6, which had to be a few hours ago at least. _

"_We have to keep moving, Bec. We'll have time to rest..."_

"…_when we're dead," she bitterly finished, shrugging her messenger bag back onto her shoulder. He looked back behind him, chuckling at the sight of his grumpy younger sister. She was filthy, covered in dust from head to foot. Her newly-cut blond hair had been cut very short all over, leaving some longer, shoulder-length strands to frame around her oval face, which she had impulsively dyed purple after a stop in one of the no-name towns they came across. Even if she was 17, she still looked innocent. But that façade was diminishing, with the assorted weaponry attached to her hips._

_He ran his hand through his chestnut hair, sweeping it backwards and out of his face. It helped him see better from behind his black-tinted, silver-rimmed goggles He looked out in front of them at the ever-expanding desert of former southern California. He, too, had gone and cut his hair, hoping the longer sweep-back on top and shorter sides would keep them hidden until they got to their destination. But Becca's newest addition to her ensemble was probably going to get them killed sooner rather than later._

"_Why do you even carry those?" he asked, continuing to look forward in the ever-expanding southern California desert. "You should've dumped them back in Old Santa Fe." He continued walking for a while, before realizing his sister had stopped. He turned, only to see his sister's body begin to shake, her head hanging down. _

"_You know exactly why," she hissed loud enough for him to barely hear. She looked up at him, beginning to dig for something in her front pocket. He couldn't see, but he figured behind her red-tinted goggles tears were pricking at the corners of her eyes, and her lips were shaking under the yellow and black bandanna. _

_He hated when she acted like this._

"_Rebecca Moldovan," he hated using his sister's full name, but he was getting sick of this particular argument. "You need to learn to grow up. We're on our own now. Just because you carry those stupid things around doesn't mean they're coming back. You saw them die."_

"_Don't say that!" At this point, Becca was visibly upset. Her tears began to leak from underneath her goggles, smudging the dirt on her cheeks._

_He strode over to her, taking hold of her shoulders as she looked down. "Becca. They're dead. D-E-A-D. We can't focus on the past, but look to the future."_

"_I am," she whispered, fumbling with some old MP3 player's headphones, untangling them mindlessly. She looked back up at him. "But that doesn't mean I can't have something to remember them by."_

_He looked at the items in question attached to her left hip. The afternoon sun was reflecting brightly off the silver of the hilts of the katanas. She had rewrapped the grips with some scrap fabric they found a few days ago, adding a bit of color to the once-plain swords. They were housed in individual scabbards, each with Japanese kanji elegantly painted onto them. He forgot what the phrases were, but he was sure that she remembered._

_She placed the earbuds in her ears, turning on the MP3 player in her hand. He placed his hand on hers, in what he hoped was an adequate apology. He looked back at her, seeing himself reflected in the lenses of her goggles. _

"_I'm sorry, Bec. But it's been a few months since they died." _Had it only been a few months?_ "We need to move on in order to survive. That's what they would've wanted." _

_She nodded, looking back down at the MP3 player in her hand. "Can we talk later? I just need to think to myself."_

_He patted her hand, knowing what she was asking. _Leave me alone, you've pissed me off too much right now, so I'm not going to talk to you._ He knew that she would walk next to him, just in case, but he was on her short-term shit list._

_The sun had moved lower in the sky, sending the sky into multiple shades of red, orange and purple as it reflected off the high levels of methane in the air. They were getting closer to their destination, having passed by a _Danger: Zone 6_ sign about an hour ago. Becca was still not talking to him, having absorbed herself in the music she was blasting in her ears. At least she was singing along with the lyrics, a good sign._

_Something didn't feel right. It hadn't for the last hour or so. The evening air was a bit too still for his liking. He held his arm out, stopping Becca from walking forward._

"_What is it?" she asked, taking out her earbuds._

_He shushed her, listening for something, anything that would reassure him that something wasn't wrong. He pulled out his black blaster from his shoulder holster, the bright neon colors accenting looking sharper than usual. Becca followed suit, slipping her MP3 in her pocket and pulling out her yellow blaster from her right hip. He saw her left hand grasp tightly to the katanas._

_He didn't blame her. This was too nerve-racking._

_The sizzling sound of a laser flying through the air broke the stillness, sending both of them to the ground to avoid it. He felt himself scramble up quickly, grabbing hold of Becca as they ran, shooting blindly behind them. He turned, seeing a group of a dozen or so Draculoids aiming their white blasters at them. A couple fell lifelessly to the desert dust, but it wasn't enough for his liking._

"_Chemical!"_

_He turned around at his sister's shout, seeing another group of Draculoids running toward them, blasters raised and firing. She kept shooting, directing yellow beams of light at their enemies._

"_Just run!"_

_She listened to his command as they ran off to their right, hoping to make it to the road they knew was at least a couple hundred feet off. It had been a plan to stay off the road, but near it, just in case._

_Everything they did was _just in case.

_They were at least 50 feet away before pain erupted in his upper right leg. His leg gave out, causing him to fall to the desert sand. He clutched his thigh, near where his dark jeans were smoking around a newly-created hole. The smell of burnt skin began to fill the air as he turned his head around. The two groups had merged into one now unstoppable force making its way down to the road._

_He saw his sister stop and turn around, her body language erupting in fear. She shot a few blasts as she ran to her brother's side, ghosting a few Dracs in the process._

"_You need to get out of here," he yelled as she crouched down, continuing to fire her gun. He grabbed her blaster, pulling it down and stopping the barrage of yellow lasers._

"_I'm not leaving here without you, Chemical," She tried to pull her blaster from his grip, but he only held on tighter._

"_You need to get to Zone 4." He looked up at her, hoping his voice was demanding enough for her to leave. "I'll be fine, I promise."_

"_Chem…"_

"_Electric! Just go!"_

_She nodded as he let go of her gun. He saw her run, not taking another look as she ran across the road and off into the scrub brush on the other side._

_His fate was sealed. Her's wasn't. _

A loud snore interrupted his thoughts. Chemical looked over, seeing Laser roll over onto his side on the top bunk, letting his arm hang limply over the edge. Through the faint fluorescent light from outside the cell, he could make out some of the black tattooed on Laser's inner right wrist.

Chemical brought his right arm up, looking at the similar tattoo on him. The black barcode was bold against his bleaching skin, the numbers 351624 mocking him. He scratched at it furiously, as if his fingernails could tear up the skin, the constant reminder he was a prisoner. All it caused were furious red lines running perpendicular across the mark.

He threw his arms down, letting them smack against the white mattress underneath him. He was so sick of this place. The constant beatings, the lack of color and personality were all beginning to wear on him. He couldn't complain about the fact he got three square meals a day, a luxury out in the desert. But he would rather starve and be free than well-fed and locked up.

_But there's a chance she's still alive,_ his mind returned to the thought that had been driving him crazy the last few weeks. _You've got to be sure now._

_But what if Rocket's right?_ his always-present pessimistic voice in his head decided to chime in. _We can't be sure it's her. It could be someone else._

"There's only one way to find out." His mind was set. He had to make contact outside.

Even if it killed him.


	7. Thank You for the Venom

_A/N: Once again I have to say thanks for all the awesome reviews. I've been working ahead on this, so expect some long chapters to come your way. And when I mean long, I mean like 2,000-2,500 word chapters, maybe even longer. Hope you don't mind!_

Chapter 7: Thank You for the Venom

The sunlight felt warm on her arms as awareness around her returned. It wasn't really hot, like she was in direct sunlight out in the desert.

It felt good nonetheless.

She let her eyes open slowly, the world coming back into focus. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the window ledge of a car—or was it a van?—shooting Dracs on Route Guano before…

She sat up, quickly regretting it as pain shot through and numbed her left shoulder. Her hand went quickly to it, finding gauze wrapped snugly around. She looked down, noticing her left sleeve of her already ripped yellow t-shirt had been cut away in order to address the wound.

_Whoever wrapped it did a pretty good job_, she thought, dropping her hand onto something soft in her lap.

Electric looked down, watching her hand run through the mess of brown hair, untangling it with her fingers. The head attached to the curls stirred, bright eyes opening slowly. A girl, probably not even 12, had curled up next to her, letting her head rest on Electric's lap. Her blue, yellow and red vest, as well as the Japanese-style top underneath, had bunched up a bit from snuggling against Electric's legs.

"Good morning," Electric whispered as the little girl rose up and yawned. The string of multi-colored whistles around her neck clanged as she stretched before taking a look at Electric. It only took a moment before her eyes opened wide and jumped off the mattress they were both laying on.

"Oh!" her little voice sounded panicked as she picked up a discarded shoulder bag. "Party's going to be so mad at me! I wasn't supposed to fall asleep!"

Electric chuckled as the girl grabbed a toy robot from the floor and a heavily-painted old radio in her rush. The girl turned around, looking strangely at Electric.

"What's so funny?"

Electric slowly swung her legs off the blanket-covered mattress, letting her boots settle on the tiled floor. "You're cute, you know that?"

The girl harrumphed, clutching the robot in her crossed arms. "I'm not cute. I'm supposed to be brave and fearless. I'm a Killjoy."

Electric laughed in amusement at the girl's words, even as the girl narrowed her eyes at her. "Do you want to know a secret?" She let her forearms lay across her lap, bringing her head down to the little girl's level. The girl walked forward, a bit hesitant. Electric smiled at her innocence.

"You can be fearless and cute at the same time."

"But Fun Ghoul said…"

"Don't listen to them. They're a bunch of boys. What do they know?" Electric watched a smile spread onto the little girl's tanned face, followed by laughter.

It was a beautiful sound to Electric's ears.

"What's going on in here?" a voice called from the doorway.

"Jet Star!" The little girl ran to the door, giving the tall Killjoy a big hug around his waist before he was able to take a step into the room.

"Hey Grace," he patted the girl on the head before looking up at Electric. "So how are you doing? Is your shoulder feeling any better?"

"You did this?" she motioned at the bandages.

"Yeah," Jet untangled his legs from Grace's grip, allowing himself fully into the room. He crouched down in front of Electric, taking a look at his handiwork across her shoulder. "Party is afraid of needles, Ghoul doesn't have the patience, and Kobra's…well, just Kobra. So that kind of leaves me as the impromptu medic of the group."

He stood, nodding in satisfaction. "Looks all good. I gave you some painkillers, enough to knock the pain down but not enough for you to get addicted."

"Thanks," Electric slowly stood.

"You hungry?" Grace asked, grabbing onto one of Electric's hands.

"I can't remember the last time I ate," Electric commented, letting herself be led by the precocious little girl.

"Well, don't expect a three-course meal," Jet replied, following them out the door. "We've got Power Pup and…nope, that's about it."

"Ewww." The little girl wrinkled her nose at the news they would be eating dog food yet again.

"It's got to be better than eating a stray lizard."

"That's even more gross!" Grace laughed.

They entered a larger room, bathed in bright sunlight coming in from the windows lining the room. Her eyes caught the sight of colorful mannequins off near the door, back behind the bar. They were painted a multitude of primary colors, with black spray-painted numbers adorning their chests and scorch marks all around the torsos. Hanging behind them was a giant American flag, a giant black widow spider painted on top. A white lightning bolt ran down its back. Under the flag, in front of the bar, were a bunch of scratched dining room chairs, where Party and Jet had hung their jackets and left their empty holsters. Ghoul had done the same with his vest.

Booths lined the wall under the windows and around the back. Party and Ghoul were sitting in one of these, across from one another, smoking some cigarettes. Ghoul had his injured leg lying on the bench, completely taking up the length. Both had their blasters lying near their hands.

They were talking to an unfamiliar man, who sat at the front of the table in an old electric wheelchair. A faded insignia decorated what she could see of the back of his black vest. A shoulder holster was strung around the handlebars, flashing a familiar pink blaster in its grip.

The sound of swinging doors broke Electric's attention from the stranger in front of her. The quick-moving body of Show Pony rolled onto the main room of the diner. His roller skates wheeled across the chipped and discolored formica checker boarding the floor, stopping in a pirouette in front of Electric.

"Electric!" He gave her a big hug, minding the injury to her shoulder. His shout ended the conversation at the table as both Party Poison and Fun Ghoul looked up.

"Look alive, sunshine," the stranger spoke, turning his head around. A green bandanna was tied around dirty black hair while aviator sunglasses sat on his bearded face.

"How're you feeling?" Party asked.

"Like I was shot," she replied, sliding out of the grip of Show Pony. His feathered black hair trailed behind him as he wheeled over to the booth next to Party.

"I feel your pain," Fun Ghoul sighed, scratching at the bandage around his shin. Jet slapped his hand away as he sat down in the bench behind Ghoul. Grace plopped down next to him.

"Stop scratching, you're going to make it worse!" Jet sighed, exasperated.

"But it itches!"

"I will seriously tie your hands behind your back if you don't stop."

"Fine." Ghoul pouted, sticking his lower lip out.

Electric laughed at the exchange.

"At least you're in a better mood than we found you," Party replied, motioning for Electric to sit down next to him.

She obeyed, sliding down into the discolored plastic-covered cushion as he slid closer to the window. She was now sitting next to the man in the wheelchair.

"Dr. Death Defying is the name, m'dear," he held out a fingerless-gloved hand which she promptly shook.

"He's my boss," Pony said. He was now kneeling on the booth behind, letting his head settle in between Party and Electric.

"That I am," Dr. Death replied, his voice sounding gruff, but sincere.

"He's a good friend of ours out here," Party commented. "We were actually on the way to see him, until the car broke down."

"And then we had two run-ins with the doom patrol out there," Ghoul added, snuffing out his cigarette on the table. "I think we hit a record."

"Nah," Jet spoke up. "Remember that day when we were supposed to be distracting the patrols around Zone 1 so Show Pony could get those messages into Battery City?"

"Don't remind me," Ghoul whined.

"Anyway," Party continued, "we hit some complications."

Electric looked at her bandaged injury, frowning a bit. "Sorry."

"Don't be. We were going to have to head back here anyway, since Ghoul got his shin blasted to kingdom come."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!"

The tinkling of a bell interrupted the beginning of Fun Ghoul's rant. Everyone looked towards the door, four blasters raised and ready to fire.

"Chill out, it's just me," Kobra Kid replied, holding his hands up slightly in surrender. A stuffed plastic bag was hanging from his right hand.

The weapons were lowered as Kobra sauntered in, throwing the bag by Electric's feet as he passed.

"New clothes," Kobra muttered, before pushing Ghoul's leg down to sit down at the table.

"Good morning to you, too." Electric muttered back.

"I think that's my cue to go get breakfast." Jet headed towards the kitchen. "Grace, you want to help?"

She nodded, running quickly after Jet through the swinging doors.

Small talk continued at the table between Party, Ghoul and Dr. Death, while Kobra just slid his sunglasses on top of his blond hair, sulking. Electric looked through the plastic bag, examining the random assortment of clothing inside.

"What're these for?"

Party looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "You have to ask? Have you seen yourself lately?"

Electric looked down at her thin yellow t-shirt. It was torn and ripped in too many places to count, covered in blood and sand. Her jeans weren't fairing much better.

It was then she noticed something was missing.

"Where are my katanas?" She felt naked without them.

"Your what?" Ghoul asked.

"We had to take them off to make you comfortable," Party answered nonchalantly. "They're in Jet's room, along with your blaster if you're wondering."

Electric started to move out of the bench, only to be stopped by Grace, who held out a spoon to her.

"You can grab them later," Jet replied, distributing white cans among the group. "No one is going to steal them."

Electric looked at the can placed in front of her. The eternal smiling logo of Better Living grinned back, the can flaunting the words "Power Pup."

"I could only find one can opener, so don't take forever to open your can." Jet stared at Ghoul, who had grabbed the opener from the center of the table.

"I think I can handle it, Jet."

It took a good five minutes, a bunch of laughter and a few curses to just get Ghoul's can to open. The rest followed relatively quickly and soon everyone dug into their less than fabulous breakfast. The sound of beaded bracelets shaking and metal scratching on metal echoed as everyone hungrily ate, as if they hadn't eaten for days. Which for the most part was true.

It took only a few minutes before Electric finished licking her fingers, sucking off every last bit of wet dog food. She sat back, satisfied with a full stomach, watching everyone else finish up their breakfast. Grace took the longest, taking small bites and making a show every time she swallowed. The Killjoys tried to coax her into eating faster, but it wasn't until Electric chimed in and said the smaller her bites were, the more Grace had to eat. Needless to say, Grace finished her can in a matter of minutes.

"How do you do that?" Ghoul asked, watching Grace scrape the can for the last remaining bits of food.

"It's a girl thing."

"Yeah, a girl thing," Grace threw her spoon into her empty can.

"I think you're rubbing off on her," Jet replied, giving Grace a one-armed hug. Her laugh caused everyone to smile. Even Kobra, who hadn't talked at all during breakfast, turned up the corners of his lips.

"Thanks for breakfast," Electric began to slide out of the booth. However, Party placed a hand on her forearm, stopping her from leaving.

"Where are you going? You're not thinking of leaving, are you?"

Electric pulled her arm from his grip. "Believe me; you'd be better off if I wasn't here."

"And you'd be better off in the zones goin' it alone, sunshine?" Dr. D's voice boomed next to her.

"Look," Party looked up at her with hazel eyes. They shined in the morning sun. "Why don't you go clean yourself up and get changed into something that Kobra found? We can talk about what you want to do after that."

He motioned towards the kitchen doors. "There's fresh water in the back. Feel free to take as long as you need."

Electric sighed, looking back at him. "You really want me here with you guys?"

"I said it yesterday, and I'll say it again today. We don't mind that you're here." A cough from across the table interrupted him. "Ok, most of us don't mind you're here. But I'm sure we can come up with a compromise." He glared at his younger brother. Kobra averted his gaze, finding the scratched writing on the windows much more fascinating.

"Thanks," Electric twisted the plastic bag in her hands. "For everything."

"Now get going. We're killing daylight."

She shuffled over to the kitchen doors, taking one last look at the Killjoys around the table. They all gave her reassuring smiles—except Kobra. She responded with a smile of her own before walking through the swinging door.

_I can't believe they trust me_, she thought. Tears were beginning to shine in her eyes, which she wiped away before they slid out. Crying was a sign of weakness, and she had cried at least twice in the last two days.

_Get a hold of yourself, Becca. Nothing this good ever lasts. So you might as well enjoy it while you can._


	8. Heaven Help Us

Chapter 8: Heaven Help Us

"You're not serious, are you?" Rocket swirled around the runny eggs of his breakfast on his tray. "Or did those Dracs hit you harder than we thought?"

"If I wasn't serious, would I be asking?" Chemical rebuttled.

"He's got a point," Laser responded, crumbs of toast spitting out of his mouth and onto Rocket. Rocket deadpanned.

The three of them were "enjoying" the mass-produced food, supposedly called breakfast, within their cell. Chemical took a gulp of his milk, cringing at the slight sourness. "It's a radio. It's not like I'm asking for you to break me out."

Rocket chanced a glance at the door, nodding as the coast was clear. "I know. But do you have any idea how hard it is to get something that contraband in here, let alone broadcast a signal?"  
"I have to know, Rocket. If she's running around with another group of zone runners, then I know she's safe."

"Not just any group," Laser interjected, trying to reach for Rocket's toast, only to get his hand slapped away. "She's pretty lucky if she's fallen in with the Killjoys."

"Who are they, by the way?" Chemical asked.

Rocket and Laser both looked at each other before looking at Chemical, surprised looks on their faces.

"Who are the _Killjoys_?" Rocket asked incredulously. "They're only the most notorious group of rebels to date out in the Zones."  
"And not to mention the biggest thorn in the side of Better Living," Laser added. "How do you not know this?"

"You guys know I'm not from around here," Chemical reminded them, for probably the hundredth time. He had lost count after three days of being locked up. "My family had been on the run for a good long time."

"But still…" Laser started, before getting interrupted by an elbow to the gut from Rocket.

"So that's why Korse was in such a hurry to leave yesterday," the thought just dawned on Chemical as he pushed his tray away from him on his bed.

"They've got some serious history, supposedly. Will you stop trying to steal my toast?" Rocket looked at Laser, whose hand was hovering over his tray.

"Come on Rocket. You know that's the only edible part of this meal."

"Well, tough shit. You'll survive."

"Whatever the case, it still leaves me needing a radio to make a transmission," Chemical interrupted the spat between his roommates.

"If I get one, you owe me," Rocket replied. "But how are you going to even transmit? They block

all the signals in and out of this place."

"I might be able to help on that," Laser raised his hand slightly like he was in school. "I got a good friend who used to work with Dr. Death Defying."

"And you can get this friend to help us transmit? Without tipping off our hosts?"

"I don't see why not. I actually think she'd enjoy it."

* * *

The air was cool and comfortable outside in the prison garden. It was the only time select prisoners were allowed outside, though still under heavy security from S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards. Laser and Rocket were allowed out, being tagged as "low-risk" prisoners. Chemical wasn't as lucky, hence the meetings with Korse and his lackeys.

"So who is this friend of yours?" Rocket wrapped his standard-issue black jacket tighter around his body. The artificial climate around Battery City kept the temperature set at a constant 72, or in Rocket's case, "like hell froze over."

"You'll see," Laser leaned against the chain-link fence. The number of prisoners let outside anymore was becoming smaller each weekend. Either the rebels were getting smarter…or that many more were being "rehabilitated." Laser shivered at the thought.

They both sat there in silence, against the chain-link fence separating them from freedom. There wasn't much to gaze at, except some small patches of grass in between the concrete pavers scattered about the yard. Some small groups sat together, playing cards, smoking cigarettes or just talking among one another. Laser could never really get the point of smoking; it was too disgusting of a habit to take up. He knew Rocket felt the same way.

He knew a lot about Rocket Revolver. What had it been, at least six months since he was arrested and met his first cellmate? There wasn't much more to talk about during the long days locked in the blindingly white cells. Rocket had been a messenger out in the Zones, travelling back and forth each day down Route Guano, keeping the inhabitants well-informed and ahead of any patrol making the rounds. It sounded much more glamorous than running around in the desert, shooting the occasional Draculoid that crossed your path.

"So how long are we going to sit here and freeze?" Rocket stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"How are you so cold?"

"How are you not?"

"Laser!" A heavily-accented feminine voice broke the conversation.

"News!" Laser stood. A thirty-something Japanese woman approached, her shorter black hair hanging straight around her face. Her cream skin looked paler paired with her prison-issued white jumper and white pants.

"It's been a while since I've seen you out here," she smiled, her almond eyes slightly shutting, but still shining.

"Got a little sick. Stupid Dracs wouldn't let me out for fresh air, which would've cured me quicker." He grinned, causing a small laugh from his friend, and a sigh from Rocket.

"Sure they would've," Rocket stood, keeping his hands in his pockets. "I don't think we've met."

"NewsAGoGo ," she held out a hand, which Rocket shook quickly before sticking it back in his pocket.

"Rocket Revolver."

"So…" Laser rocked back on his heels. "I have a favor to ask, News."

"Well, we both do," Rocket spoke up, sensing that Laser was going to make this some big deal.

"If you're looking for some companions, I know of others who would…"

Rocket threw his hands up before she could continue, red spreading fast on his cheeks. "No, no! Not that."

"Do you know how to get in contact with the Killjoys?" Laser quickly spilled out, sensing Rocket's embarrassment.

"Well, yeah. I did work with Dr. D." She looked at the two of them, eyebrows raised in suspicion. "What exactly are you two planning?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Rocket once again quickly replied, nerves getting the best of him.

"If you don't tell, I won't help." She crossed her arms.

"Aw, come on News," Laser placed an arm around her shoulders. "You know we wouldn't do anything to get ourselves in trouble. Right?"

She shrugged off Laser's arm. "Spill."

Laser sighed. "A friend of ours needs to put out a message to the Killjoys. That's all."

"You know they do have the place blocking all incoming and outgoing transmissions."

"We know. Rocket's got it covered."

"I do?"

"Weren't you telling me earlier you could get something to work?"  
"Well, I didn't think you'd find anyone so willing to transmit out."

News placed her hands on the shoulders of the two, giving them a small squeeze. They both looked at her, dropping the argument. "I can get out a message to Dr. D easily. It's going to take some time through, if I want to keep my tracks hidden. But I need to know that you're serious and that you can get a signal big enough to boost my message out of this place."

"I think Rocket can handle that," Laser smiled. Rocket's face dropped.

"Would you stop putting words in my mouth for two seconds?"

"Well, stop selling yourself so short."

News laughed at the two. "You sound like a married couple."

They both deadpanned. "Like I would get married to this guy," Laser thumbed at Rocket. "He's too uptight." He got a slight push from Rocket in response.

"So you'll do it? Help us get a message out?"

"I would love to pull a…what do you call it?...a fast one on Better Living." News smiled. "Get me a radio and a strong enough signal, and I'll see what I can do."

Laser ferociously hugged News. "You're awesome, you know that?"

"All right, Laser. I thought you didn't swing that way," Rocket shook his head.

"Do you have to be such a spoilsport?" Laser stuck his tongue out at his friend. "I would go straight for News any day."

"I'm flattered." She shook her head, taking the opportunity to look over her shoulder. "We should probably split, before the guards get suspicious."

"I'll have a radio for you by tomorrow. Meet at our cell after lunch. There should be enough distraction during open time." Rocket took a look up at one of the guards. Sensing by the look he was getting back, this conversation needed to end now.

"I think there'll be enough distraction," she winked, leaving the Laser and Rocket leaning against the chain-link fence.

"What did she mean by that?" Rocket asked, watching the retreating form of their accomplice.

"Don't worry about it. She's got this handled." Laser shrugged. "But are we going to be ready?"

Rocket grinned as he looked at his friend. "How do you feel about a food fight?"


	9. I'm Not Okay I Promise

Chapter 9: I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

The water was refreshing against Electric's skin as weeks' worth of dust, blood and sweat washed down the drain in the makeshift shower in the diner's kitchen. But no amount of water, however, washed away the dread building in the pit of her stomach. The thoughts weren't leaving her head, no matter how hard she scrubbed and pulled at her hair.

_I can't just keep running. But I can't stay here and risk any of their lives. Especially Grace. She's too young to be caught in the middle of this shit._

She shut the water off, wrapping a threadbare towel around herself. The silence in the kitchen was deafening. _I could really go for some music right about now._ She sighed in relief as she laid her eyes upon the mass of clothing she threw all over the counters. She smiled in surprise seeing some clean undergarments with the collection Kobra had brought back.

She quickly dried herself off before getting dressed. The jeans were pretty snug around her hips, adhering to her legs and showing off every curvy feature. Most of the shirts were threadbare and full of holes, but long enough for her to layer underneath a yellow shirt very similar to the one she had been wearing for weeks. She let her fingers trace the faded black ink of the sunburst design on the front.

The splashboard of an old stove served as a mirror as she attempted to get her hair back in order. She teased and twisted the shorter cut in the back, finally getting it to stand back on end after a few minutes. The multiple dye jobs she had done with the front were at different levels of fading. The most recent attempt at had left chunks of blues, greens, pinks and purples framing her face.

She momentarily paused as she reached for her necklace lying on the stove. It wasn't much to brag about; a silver lightning bolt on a silver chain. It was a present from her parents way before the Fires of 2012, before the Helium Wars began; back when innocence and naivety were the words of the day. She clasped it around her neck, letting her fingers trail down the chain before absently twirling the charm. Her hand dropped as a sigh escaped.

The sound of voices arguing broke her out of her revere. She slid her boots on as she awkwardly hopped over to the server's window, wondering who could be arguing about what. She had a pretty good idea about the who and the what though.

"Why do you keep insisting she stay here? She wants to leave, so why don't you let her?" she heard Kobra lament.

"Mikey, I'm not going to let her wander around the Zones, waiting to get picked off by Korse." _Mikey?_ "Why else do you think he was with that patrol when they ambushed us?"

"Have you thought for two seconds that they may have been after us and only us? We're wanted, Gerard. Remember?"

"That still doesn't mean I'm leaving someone starving and exhausted to die in the middle of the desert. We wouldn't be much better than Better Living if we did."

"Is there a reason you're eavesdropping on Party and Kobra?" a voice whispered in her ear, causing her to jump and hit her head on the shelf overhead.

"Pony? What the fuck?" she narrowed her eyes, rubbing her head where it slammed.

"I'm all for eavesdropping, but not on friends." He offered a hand, helping Electric stand off to the side of the window.

"Sorry, bad habit," she admitted. She glanced at Show Pony, who stood a few inches taller than her due to his skates. He fumbled with a bundle of yellow and black in his hands.

"I'm about to head out with Dr. D. Gotta keep the news going in the Zones," he smiled, offering the bundle to Electric. She took it, letting it unravel as she held it up.

"I cleaned and fixed your jacket. I figured you didn't want a burned hole in it."

The jacket for the most part looked when she was wearing it when she was shot. Black leather rectangles had been sewn on over the shoulders, hiding the scorch marks that came from being shot by a laser. Silver rivets accented around them, adding a bit of hardware, but not so much to make it gaudy. She noticed a new insignia on the front; a black heart broken in half within a circle. The jagged edges of the heart formed a lightning bolt down the middle.

"It looks great." She slid the yellow jacket over her arms. The addition of the black leather accented the screen-printing on her new t-shirt.

"You done in there, Electric?" she heard Party call out.

"Be out in a minute," she shouted over her shoulder, before looking back at Pony. "Don't tell them I was eavesdropping. I really do trust Gerard and Mikey." She found the names come rushing out of her mouth before her brain even realized what she was saying.

"Fine," Pony sighed, rolling toward the door. "But you need to tell them. Trust is a two-way street, Electric." He left, letting the door swinging wildly behind him.

* * *

Kobra was mad at his brother. No, not mad. Worse than mad.

He was fuming.

"I'm not playing babysitter for some random chick we picked up, Gerard! Hell knows that I babysit Grace more than anyone else here."

"Why don't you trust her?"

"Why do you?"

A thumping noise interrupted, causing both to look towards the kitchen.

"You were saying about trust?" Kobra spat bitterly, turning his back.

"Michael Way! You listen to me!" He cringed inwardly as Party used his full name. He just shrugged it off, audibly kicking up the kickstand on his motorbike and wheeling it out of the diner.

Away from his brother. Away from this stupid argument.

The sand was baking outside the diner, adding to the already sweltering air temperature. But it was a hell of a lot more comfortable out here than having to deal with his brother inside. They rarely fought, but when they did, it wasn't good for anyone. Out of all the people to talk about trust, it was ironic that it was with the only person he would trust his life to. Well, he would trust his life with Jet Star and Fun Ghoul, but they weren't related.

He set his bike back on its kickstand in the shade of the diner, away from the parked Trans-Am and Dr. D's blue van. He just needed to get away from the growing paranoia building inside of him. It had always been a problem of his, even before the Helium Wars. The ever-increasing anxiety of what people thought of him, not knowing if it was the truth or not. He didn't even know if he could trust himself half the time. It wasn't a glamorous way to survive, but he managed.

The drugs helped, until they were shown to be the root cause of the event leading up to the Fires. It was all probably for the best anyway. That innate ability to always be careful saved his skin, as well as those of his friends, plenty of times.

That was probably the only thing that drove him nuts about his brother. How could he be so confident and place all his faith on someone they barely knew, when everything and everyone was trying to kill you?

He managed to placate his thoughts for a while, working to fix a fuel line that had been damaged in a shootout days earlier. Just being able to work with his hands on something he loved and knew every square inch could clear his head for a while. It had been that way when he played his bass guitar on stage, among friends and screaming fans. But that was years ago, before the world had gone to hell and back.

By the time he looked up from the bike, the shadows had grown shorter, and the air was even hotter and stuffier than before. The blue van had left, leaving the painted Firebird all alone in front of the diner. The occasional sound of an electric sizzle of a laser blaster being fired made its way to his ears. He figured Fun Ghoul and Jet Star were having another one of their "friendly" competitions out behind the diner. All the more reason to avoid anyone if he could today.

His plan, however, hit a snag once he made his way around the corner. The business end of Electric's blaster was raised in his direction as he approached, finger on the trigger, without her even looking in his direction. It was a few seconds before she realized her mistake.

"Sorry." Electric mumbled, lowering her blaster. She had settled herself on one of the many busted tires piled next to the old BL/Ind vending machine that had gone empty years earlier. Her jacket was balled up behind her head and up against the wall. She was nodding along to whatever she was listening to through her earbuds.

She looked up again, seeing that Kobra hadn't moved since she pulled her blaster on him. "Is there a problem?" she asked, pushing pause on her music player.

_You._

"Nothing," he mumbled, walking past her quickly, away from the situation.

"It doesn't sound like nothing," she observed. He slammed a hand against the old vending machine, causing Electric to jump.

"You're not fooling anyone," he hissed, turning around. He was beyond fuming now. He was furious. "Keep up this act of yours, if you want. But don't expect any sympathy from me."

"What the hell is your problem?" She stood, holstering her blaster. Her swords swung menacingly on her left side. "What have I done to seriously piss you off?"

"You may act all innocent to everyone else, but you're dangerous. And dangerous people aren't to be trusted." He began to storm off into the diner.

"I would say the same about you," she spat back. "You know how many times I've seen your faces plastered since I've been in the Zones?"  
"So why are you even staying? If you want to leave, leave. There's no one holding you back." _God, you need to shut up before you say something you'll regret_.

"So you would rather leave me to die in the desert than help?" her voice was becoming hysterical.

_Don't play down to her level! Just ignore her!_

"Answer me, Mikey!"

He froze at the sound of his name. His _fucking actual _name. Electric had barely realized what she had said before she slapped her hands over her mouth. As if they could prevent what had escaped only seconds ago.

It was too late now.

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?" the words were clipped and full of venom.

"I'm sorry," her voice rivaled that of a five-year-old's, whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar.

"So you were listening in this morning," he stalked over, clenching his fists in anger so much his leather gloves were creaking.

"I didn't mean to!" she cringed. "It just slipped! I promise!"

"Kobra! What the fuck, man!" The sound of Fun Ghoul's voice broke the tension. His short frame stepped in between them, pinning Kobra's shaking arms to his sides. Jet Star and Grace weren't far behind him, surrounding Electric, comforting her as she collapsed into the sand next to the car.

It took a few seconds for the shaking to subside. It helped that Ghoul was gently rubbing his arms, helping the anger ebb away into the sweltering heat. Kobra let out a sigh, relinquishing his hands and the feelings he knew were dangerous for him to hold on to.

"Now, what the hell is going on between you two? You're acting worse than a married couple," Ghoul looked sincerely at Kobra. It didn't matter that two pairs of sunglasses prevented him from looking directly into Kobra's eyes. Years of being around each other meant some things could go unseen.

"It's nothing," Kobra muttered.

"It sure as hell ain't, Mikes," Ghoul whispered. A glimmer of something crossed over Kobra's face as he was called one of his many nicknames before the Wars.

"How can you all trust her? She's impulsive, rash, a snoop…"

"She's as paranoid as you." Whatever Kobra was going to say died on his lips.

"Paranoid?"

"I may not know the whole story, but whatever she's been through had to have been hard. You saw how she was when we found her. I know you barely trust anyone since we were betrayed, but that was years ago. You have to give this girl a chance. If not for her, then for us."

Kobra looked over Ghoul's shoulder. Grace was giving Electric a hug around the middle while Jet was rubbing her back. She did look broken, defeated, clutching onto those swords hanging on her belt. He looked back at the face of his best friend.

"You know, you would come of much wiser if you weren't such an ass all the time." A fragment of a smile crossed his lips as Ghoul laughed.

"Not much of an answer, but I'll take it." He let go of Kobra's arms. "Doing okay, Electric?"

She nodded, being helped up by Jet. "Sorry about before. Didn't mean to make a scene."

"It's not a problem," Ghoul smiled his silly grin, lightening the mood. "Now, I think I know what would be the best thing for you two to make up." He smiled at Electric, then at Kobra.

"You two should fight."

"What?" they both asked incredulously.

"Oh, come on. You've been wanting to since we ghosted those Dracs. You totally kicked his ass in how you dusted off that patrol, Electric. I think it's only fair that you two fight and make up."

Electric raised her eyebrows in Kobra's direction as Ghoul explained his logic. "What do you think? You really want to beat up on a girl like me?"

"I actually have a better idea," Kobra looked at Ghoul, an even bigger smile beginning to form. They both crept slowly towards Ghoul.

"Um, guys? What are you doing?"

Both Electric and Kobra tackled Ghoul to the ground, sending some old Exterminate posters falling to the ground. They jokingly fought, sending friendly jabs at Ghoul while he unsuccessfully fought them off. Even Jet and Grace joined into the fray, jumping onto the pile.

"This wasn't what I was asking!" Ghoul managed to get out.

"Well, it's what you got!" Electric laughed. In fact, they all laughed, becoming quite contagious as they rolled around outside the diner entrance, knocking down old The Mad Gear and Missile Kid posters from around the entrance.

Kobra probably had the biggest smile of all. The anxiety, the constant paranoia, was gone for a few brief minutes as they all became covered in dust and tears of laughter.

And that was okay.


	10. Our Lady of Sorrows

Chapter 10: Our Lady of Sorrows

The rest of the morning went by pretty mundanely after their "fight". Party Poison had left earlier with Show Pony and Dr. D, something about having to regroup for a mission. So that left Ghoul, Jet, Kobra, Grace and Electric sitting in the diner avoiding the harsh noon sunlight. There wasn't much to do but fiddle around with useless objects and make small talk. There was barely any food left to even consider making lunch. Multiple meals in the day were a luxury none of them could afford nowadays.

Electric rubbed her eyes, trying to clear them. She had been working on her glove, trying to figure out why it was shorting out on one of the fingers. Jet sat next to her, fixing a spare blaster. Ghoul was across working on what Electric assumed to be some sort of explosive device. Whatever it was, he was pretty into it, biting his tongue in concentration as he manipulated wires with pliers in hand. Kobra sat next to him, once again immersed in one of his many magazines. Grace had pulled up a chair to the end of their booth and was furiously scribbling away on a scrap piece of paper and some crayons that they had found lying about.

"Ghoul?" Grace's voice broke the imposed silence as she glanced up from her paper. "Can we go to the mailbox today?"

"You have another letter to drop off?" Ghoul looked up, a stray piece of wire hanging from his mouth. Grace nodded.

"What mailbox?" Electric asked, confused.

"Why don't you join us? The more the merrier." Ghoul smiled. "Kobra? Jet? You coming?"  
Kobra shook his head. "Someone needs to be near the radio in case Party calls."

"I probably should go," Jet set the newly-fixed blaster down. "Know how to drive stick, Electric?"

"I never learned how to drive, actually," she sheepishly admitted.

"Then all the more reason for me to take you guys. Party would kill me if he knew Ghoul was driving his pride and joy."

"I crashed one time. And we got a cool sign out of the deal." Ghoul gestured over to the giant Route Guano sign hanging up over by the mannequins.

* * *

The mailbox sat near a deserted intersection in what probably was some small town back before the Wars. Whatever buildings and streets that did exist had been completely obliterated, just leaving the obscure object standing near one of the mesas dotting the landscape of Zone 5. It still held letters, but the recipients would never receive them. There was no mailman for the dead and gone.

Religion had been outlawed almost immediately as soon as Better Living took over. They just saw it as some frivolous thoughts and beliefs that would take away from what a person wanted. Humans were selfish, despicable, fickle beings. No god of any kind was going to change that. Not when the perfect pill existed, and was cheap too.

So the mailbox stood, an artistic altar under whatever higher power you believed. It wasn't a somber area, but brightly painted with messages scrawled in paint and marker across the surface time and time again. Stubs of candles and paper flowers lay scattered around, while someone had crafted some paper mache skulls and a cross years ago and pasted them on the surface. It was a holy, sacred place, where blasters weren't welcome, and tears could flow freely without being questioned.

Electric stood off to the side as she watched Grace slide her letter into the altar, through the door that brightly boasted "Farewell." She stood there quietly, with her leather helmet on, waiting for a nonexistent postman to come and take the letter away to wherever it needed to be delivered.

Ghoul had taken perch on some rocks close by, lighting up some of the candles in cracked glass holders with a scratched lighter. Grace eventually sat down next to him on the ground, laying her head against his legs.

Electric turned away, embarrassed to be looking in on such an intimate scene. Sure, they all dealt with death on a daily basis. It was a given in their occupation. It still didn't stop her hands as they unconsciously trailed to the swords attached to her hip, the constant reminder of what she lost.

_The ghost town felt even more barren and deserted as the sun rose. It had served as a good enough place to hide and recuperate from running, at least for a few days._

"_I know you're here," the sinister voice of the Chief Exterminator called out from the street running down the middle of town. The buildings lining the sides hid him among the shadows of the dawning light. "I'm sure your darling daughter wouldn't have lied to me. I know you taught her well enough."_

_Said daughter was struggling weakly in the grip of two S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/Ws in his entourage. She had been beaten badly over the last 18 hours, easily apparent from the numerous bruises mixed with blood and dirt over her exposed face and arms. She felt her already tangled mess of hair gripped by Korse, throwing her head back and exposing her neck. A white blaster found itself lodged against her throat._

"_I'll only give you to the count of five before she dies. One." Tears began to fall as he slowly counted the moments towards her death._

"_Two." She had lived a good life, listened to her parents. Killed the occasional Drac or two._

"_Three." She annoyed her brother possibly one too many times, but he still loved her. And she loved him._

"_Four."_

_The creak of a door stopped the countdown, its haunting sound echoing down the derelict avenue. She shut her eyes, not wanting to see them surrender. It had been idiotic for her to run off, even if it was to help a fellow zone runner who transmitted for help on their frequency._

_It had unfortunately been a trap she had been too stupid to realize._

"_Electric, honey. Open your eyes."_

_She couldn't disobey the kind words of her mother. She opened them, the world becoming blurry under tear-filled eyes. They stood there; her caretakers, her protectors of 17 years, unarmed and vulnerable. Her body shook as the tears escaped._

They're going to die because of me.

"_Isn't this touching?" the Chief Exterminator sneered, looking with narrowed eyes between parents and child. "Where's the other brat?"_

"_He's long gone by now," she heard her father's defiant tone. He had always hated authority, even when working for some mega-corporation before the Wars._

_The sound of flesh hitting flesh nearly caused her to vomit. Her legs collapsed from underneath as she saw her father's face begin to bleed and discolor._

Don't show fear_, he had always told her._ Fear just feeds them.

"_Go find the boy." He waved to a smaller group of Draculoids. They began to break down the doors of the decrepit houses lining the street._

_She felt her body drop to the ground as the two guards let go of her arms. The dust dried out her mouth and lungs causing her to cough violently, shaking her weakened body. She peered out from underneath her hair, watching as the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards forced her parents to kneel, hands behind their heads._

"_As Chief Exterminator of the Zones, I hereby sentence Toxic Killer and Rogue Angel to death based upon the charge of murder…and treason." The sound of blasters charging filled the air with a deadly amount of electricity._

"_Any last words?"_

_She saw them look at each other one last time, the love in their eyes causing more tears to spill unchecked._

No, this can't be happening. I have to be dreaming.

"_Electric," she heard her mother's sweet voice break in. "We love you." She saw them clasp hands, waiting for the inevitable._

"_Once a renegade…" her father smiled at her._

"…_always a rebel." The whispered words barely escaped her lips as the sounds of lasers shot through the air._

_It was done._

_They were dead. _

_Two shots to the backs of their heads._

_Everything went numb. She barely felt the Chief Exterminator grab her by the scruff of her neck, replacing his blaster underneath her chin. She saw his lips move, but the words were drowned out by the last words they said._

We love you.

Once a renegade, always a rebel.

_She was resigned to death. If they died, surely she too deserved it. She shut her eyes, waiting for a burning laser to sear into her head._

_Her body once again fell hard to the desert sand-covered asphalt. She saw the Exterminator recoil, raising his blaster in the air._

_In a matter of seconds, the surrounding S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards were on the ground, dusted and unmoving. An inhuman sound came from the Exterminator's throat as he wildly waved his gun around, looking for the phantom shooter. It was merely blasted out of his hand, sending it skittering across the street in the dust._

"_Don't even think about calling for your dogs," the deadly serious voice of her brother called out from a building across the street. "They're all dusted, and you will be too if you don't leave."_

"_There's potential for you yet, Chemical Skeleton," she heard the steely voice of the Exterminator become more distant. "But if you want to resign your fate to the desert, so be it."_

_Another blast came from what she assumed was Chemical's blaster. "You can go to hell, Korse, for all I care. Because eventually I'll join you there. And still kick your ass."_

_She soon felt her brother's presence as he bent over her, rubbing her arms in comfort. _

"_Becca, it's okay. You're safe now."_

"_But I killed them, Blaze." She looked at him, her beautiful green eyes blotched with red. "I killed Mom and Dad."_

_She sobbed into his shoulder, staining his filthy leather jacket. He joined her in silent sorrow, tears falling and landing in her dirty hair._

"_You didn't kill them. Korse did. Him and his goddamn minions."_

_They sat there like that, mourning for those they lost as long as they could._

_They buried them near a tree close to Old Santa Fe. One that offered shade to anyone passing by, a rarity in the desert nowadays. Nothing was spoken, only silent words and tears presented themselves._

_And gripped in her hands were the two items that had made them different than any other rebel they had met. Two items that she promised she would use to take down the people who murdered those she loved._

"Electric?" She opened her eyes to the peering eyes and concerned face of Grace, who had gripped onto her hands. "Do you want to send a letter to someone?"

"It's all right, honey," she whispered.

"It doesn't have to be a letter," she heard Jet softly speak behind her.

"What makes you think I have anything to say?"

"We've all lost someone in our lives. But it's up to you how you grieve."

She looked back at the mailbox, where Ghoul was sitting with his head on his knees. It was heart wrenching to see the always happy Killjoy sitting there, mourning for someone she hadn't met, but had obviously impacted his life.

She ran back down to the car. Her mind made, she dug out a few items from within her bag in the back seat. She returned up the hill, kneeling down in front of the mailbox, out of breath. The movement caused Ghoul to look up.

"I guess I never said this when we buried you. I think we were in too much shock to say anything then." She didn't care that Ghoul, or anyone for that matter, was listening. This was something that needed to be said, before the moment was gone.

"Blaze was never the emotional type anyway. Always looking to the future, never looking back at what we left behind. That was my jurisdiction." She looked up, her eyes shining, but no tears falling. The beads of the rosary in her hands clicked as she rolled them around with her fingers.

"I promised myself that I would learn how to fight with your katanas. I always thought they were so cool. I carry both of them around, both your's and Dad's. I even put one of your rosaries around the hilt. It looks really cool now. I think I'll eventually take them out and learn, but I need to get better with shooting my blaster before that.

"You have no idea how much I miss you, Mom. Especially since I lost Chem. It wasn't my fault. He told me to leave. Most people would probably think he's dead, but I think…no, I know he's alive. That stupid Chief Exterminator always wanted him alive. Rehabilitation or whatever. I'll find him, though, and get him back."

She wrapped the crystal-beaded rosary around one of the glass candle holders, letting the cross hang perfectly in the middle.

"I love you."

She rocked back on her heels, letting her back rest against one of the rocks surrounding the mailbox. The katanas were unclipped from her waist, being placed in her lap as she looked up towards the sky. Her fingers unconsciously traced over the painted faded kanji on the sheaths encasing the steel.

"That was beautiful, Electric." She looked over at Ghoul, who had placed his head on his knees. "It takes a lot to say something like that."

"It had to be said eventually," she smiled a sad smile. "Before I forgot. I just don't want to forget them, Ghoul."

"You do forget some things, but those things you do remember make them special to us." He threw his arm over Electric's shoulder, bringing her in for a one-armed hug.

"Thanks, Ghoul. For everything."

"Call me Frank."

She looked up at him. "You trust me enough with your real name?"

"You've shot Dracs, both stationary and hanging out of the window of a speeding van. And you've put up with all of our shit. I think that qualifies."

"Then call me Becca. That goes for you, too, Jet," she shouted over her shoulder.

"Sounds fair to me," she heard Jet speak up behind them. "It's Ray, by the way. And we should get going before Kobra…I mean, Mikey, radios us a search party."

They stood, both taking one last look at the altar of forgiveness. _Thanks Mom, _she silently prayed to herself as she made her way down the hill.

_Thanks for helping me find my way._


	11. House of Wolves

_A/N: I once again have to say thank you to the kind words everyone has been leaving. Especially to my faithful group of reviewers: The Swim Chick, TheSoundNA, elliesweets, BreeBree12345, HalleTwoHats, GerardWayIsMyLife and IchibanSinger321, who always have kind words to say. You guys really make my day. And for those of you who have subscribed, it means a lot to have you enjoy this. Please keep it up!_

_I just wanted to give a slight warning about this chapter. There are a few homophobic slurs in here. But as Frank Iero said, "Homophobia is gay." Just something I wanted to point out so no one is offended. Thanks!_

Chapter 11: House of Wolves

The tray of overly processed food slammed hard against the table, causing the dehydrated mashed potatoes and jelly-like gravy to jiggle upon impact.

"Is it bad that I'm craving a good can of Power Pup right now?" Laser lamented, throwing himself in one of the chairs around the immaculate white table.

"That actually doesn't sound half bad," Rocket mused, examining one of the rubbery chicken nuggets he had been twirling in his hand aimlessly for the last three minutes.

"You two really have been in here too long, haven't you?" Chemical shook his head.

The three sat off to the side in the prison cafeteria. All prisoners were let out to eat lunch and dinner, still under heavy security from the guards around the room. But that hadn't stopped the three of them from planning what they needed to do tonight.

"Say what you want about this garbage they call food. There's just something a bit more appealing to me in dog food," Laser stated.

"You sound like your part dog or something," Chemical replied.

"Or something," Rocket muttered. He received a kick in the shin from Laser in response.

The three of them picked around their meals in a reserved silence, letting their eyes wander around the room. The 100 or so assorted "suspected" rebels were for the most part enjoying their meals, chatting between themselves around the tables scattered about.

Laser looked up at the clock. 6:28. T-minus two minutes and counting.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Laser? You know the risks," Rocket spoke, glancing over his shoulder at the guards near the kitchen doors.

"I'm the only one who can. If they haven't broken Chemical in three weeks, I doubt they'll break me in a night." Laser placed a silly grin on his face as he rose from the table, taking his tray of uneaten food with. It didn't do much to reassure Rocket about their plan.

"Rocket." Chemical voice broke into his thoughts. "He knows what he's doing. You need to relax."

"I just don't want something to go wrong. There's so much riding on this."

"Derik," Chemical said under his breath. "Just do what's asked of you. You can't let your nerves get in the way of the goal."

Rocket nodded. Chemical sighed, leaning back on the chair as they watched Laser maneuver his way across the room to where a pretty Japanese girl sat.

"Hi, News," Laser bashfully spoke up, his voice shaking with fake nerves. "I was wondering if I could sit next to you today."

The people sitting around the table looked up, varying looks of confusion on their faces. But News' face had a sweet smile on it.

"Why don't you sit with your queer friends, you fag?" one of the men at the table stood up, rising a good half-foot over Laser's 5'10".

"Robo, chill," News pleaded, gripping on one of his cannon-like arms in a feeble attempt to pull him down.

"I don't like you hanging out with garbage like him," he growled, undeterred.

"Roboshobo," News once again pleaded, her voice sounding overly sweet and innocent.

"Why don't you say that to my face, Ritalin rat?" Laser slammed his tray down on the table, nearly hitting the fingers of a few people.

The behemoth turned, towering over Laser further.

"What the fuck did you say?" he grabbed Laser by his collar, lifting him a few inches of the ground. The cafeteria went silent, allowing Laser to faintly hear the sound of chairs scrapping across the floor. He could see Rocket and Chemical stand up, to which he tried to subtly wave his hands in an effort to deter them.

_Don't interfere yet. He's playing into my hand perfectly._

"Well, say something, fag," he shook Laser, his head moving like a ragdoll's in the giant's grip. Laser had to do something, before this slim opportunity was gone. In a pure act of desperation, he grabbed some of the potatoes on his tray, throwing them in the eyes of his attacker.

The surprise attack stunned Roboshobo, sending Laser down to the floor on his behind. He scrambled to stand quickly, backing into the bodies of Chemical and Rocket. The giant growled, swiping the mixture of instant potatoes and gravy out of his eyes.

"You're dead, pretty boy!"

The three of them barely had time to duck to avoid a glass of milk flying towards Robo's head. It shattered violently, sending glass and sour milk flying across his face and onto the floor.

"Leave them alone, you meat head!" some shouted from across the room.

A chorus of agreement murmured throughout the crowd, infuriating the giant even more.

"I think I know of a way to settle this," Laser spoke up, flashing a dangerous look in his deep blue eyes. He swiped up a big handful of pudding from a tray close to him.

"Food fight!" The handful of pudding slammed squarely into Robo's face, leaving him covered in the sticky vanilla dessert.

A hailstorm of assorted vegetables, desserts, silverware and the occasional chicken strip or two began to fly across the room. It was utter chaos as the white-washed walls became stained and caked in dinner. The guards became frantic, trying to disarm the closest prisoners from their weapons of choice, only to have it end up on their pristine uniforms. A couple left, most likely to get back up to handle the rowdy crowd.

Chemical, Laser and Rocket took shelter behind an overturned table near the kitchen doors, unleashing their own attack upon the crowd.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Laser lobbed a huge handful of some indiscernible dessert at the closest guard, sending him sliding to the ground.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Chemical replied. He looked over at Rocket. "You ready?"

Rocket grabbed the nearest empty tray before nodding at Chemical.

"Now I am."

Using the tray as a shield, he made his way towards the kitchen doors. He slid through easily, undetected and for the most part unscathed from tonight's dinner. He crept his way through the kitchen, avoiding the security cameras he knew were located around the place. Luckily for him, all the kitchen workers had fled once the first globs of potatoes had flown through the air, making the trip a bit easier.

It didn't take too long to make it to the back office in the kitchen. Using a knife that he swiped from one of the counters, he went to work on the door's lock. It was a matter of seconds before it clicked open, allowing him entrance.

The office itself was cluttered with overdue invoices and months-old lunch menus. Empty prescription bottles were littered all over the desk and onto the floor. He picked one up, scanning quickly over the label: Better Living Industries Extra Strength Muscle Relaxers, 500 count. He opened the bottle, looking at the white powder of the crushed pills inside.

It confirmed at least one of Rocket's suspicions since he had arrived at the prison: _they are trying to drug us_.

He continued to look around, lifting up the massive piles of papers until he found it. It was underneath a tall pile near the computer, and for the most part, in perfect condition. He grabbed the radio, sliding it into his waistband before sneaking back out of the office, making sure that nothing was overly disturbed, which was pretty much impossible. He made his way back through the kitchen, grabbing a few obscure utensils and sliding them into his sleeves.

Rocket was halfway through the kitchen when he saw a few bodies running through the swinging doors back out into the cafeteria. An uncomfortable feeling in his stomach began to grow, and he knew it wasn't because of the drugs.

He noticed as he reentered the fray that the food fight had gotten more violent in the few minutes he had spent grabbing the radio. Some of the prisoners had grabbed S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W-issued blasters, firing off random shots at guards. One prisoner near them was waiving his gun around erratically, a maniacal look in his eyes.

"Derik, duck!"

A laser barely grazed his head as he felt Laser tackle him. They resumed cover behind their barrack of a table, avoiding any potshots at them.

"How the hell did it get so out of hand?" Rocket found himself screaming the words out.

"Don't look at me! I wasn't expecting people to be grabbing guns." Splintered wood showered upon them as another shot hit the table.

"Where's Blaze?" Laser asked over the uproar.

Rocket looked up over the table, trying to find their friend among the chaos ensuing around them. He saw Chemical fighting across the room. But that was before he saw a gun aimed in that direction.

"Blaze! Look out!"

Everything seemed to stop moving as Rocket yelled. The food flying across the room hung in midair, looking innocent among the lethal lasers flying past. The shot burned the white uniform as it hit Chemical in the back, sending him face first down to the floor.

Rocket didn't know how he made it across the room in a matter of seconds, avoiding being shot or impaled by flying food. But nonetheless, he found himself there, becoming nauseous at the sight of the burning skin and blood beginning to stain around the burned area.

"Is he okay?" he heard Roboshobo ask him, turning over a table in defense.

"It's not a direct shot to the spine, but it's still serious," it took all of his willpower not to have his dinner upheave all over the situation. "You did good, by the way."

"Just don't ask me to do that again, Rocket. I hate having to be the stupid meathead in this kind of situation."

Rocket nodded. Roboshobo, one of the only men he had met in prison with a deadly reputation, had been so welcoming in helping them out cause this distraction. But none of them expected this much violence to ensue.

"Go grab Laser. I'm going to need all the help I can get," Rocket looked up at Robo. A quick nod was given before entering the fray.

Rocket had barely had a chance to reassess the situation before a violent discharge of laser flashed in the room. It ended all activity in the cafeteria and left a smoldering hole in the wall. Everyone dropped their assorted food weapons and stolen blasters as they noticed the Chief Exterminator and his smoking white blaster poised in mid-air.

"Secure the instigators," he hissed to his men as he walked over to Chemical and Rocket. He took one look at the two of them before addressing the frozen crowd. "As for the rest of you, to your cells. Now! Lockdown starts immediately!"

Rocket turned around in time to see two of the guards grab Laser. He struggled and cursed as they handcuffed him before escorting him past Korse and out of the cafeteria. The same happened to Roboshobo, who added his own colorful language as he was escorted out.

A couple of the guards with Korse pulled Rocket away from the unconscious form of Chemical. He knew better than to struggle as Korse merely glanced over the unconscious rebel.

"Get him to the infirmary," he shouted to the guards accompanying him. "And you better make sure he isn't dead."

Two of the guards grabbed Chemical under his shoulders, dragging him out of the cafeteria. Rocket was left alone, standing in the presence of Korse.

"Did you not hear what I said? To your cell. Unless you want to spend a night in isolation?" Korse hissed.

"No, sir," Rocket said in a voice that wasn't his own as he ran out of the cafeteria. He barely made it back to his cell before his emotions unhinged.

_It wasn't supposed to happen like this,_ he thought, throwing the radio on top of the blanket in his bunk. _A quick riot, a little distraction. It wasn't supposed to get this violent!_

The door slammed shut and the lights shut off around him as he sat on his bunk, replaying the shooting over and over again in his head. _If he had seen the blaster…If he had gotten over there quicker…_

_If…_

_If…_

_If…_

_Knock that defeatist crap out of your system_, his mind screamed back. _Neither Blaze nor Nick would want you beating yourself up over something you can't control. Finish up with the plan. For them._

His mind set, he grabbed the discarded radio. Selecting one of the contraband knives he snuck out of the kitchen, he began to pry the back off.

"You both better survive tonight. Because if you don't, I'm kicking your asses in the next life."


	12. Early Sunsets Over Monroeville

Chapter 12: Early Sunsets over Monroeville

By the time Party Poison made it back to the diner, the sun had begun to sink to the western horizon. The sky was in multiple shades of reds, pinks and purples, a beautiful sight. He had spent most of his day walking back from Dr. Death Defying's hideaway—a highly-graffitied shack located in Zone 2 off of some obscure dirt road. It wasn't like he had to worry about any patrols after yesterday's shootout on the highway; an intercepted message stated that Korse called all patrols back in order to regroup.

Nonetheless, it had been a long walk down Route Guano, wearing his MouseKat mascot head. But the time alone helped him think, a rarity when he was among his fellow friends and Killjoys. Not that he didn't enjoy their company; they made life on the run much more enjoyable. But since they had taken in Electric, he had been having nagging thoughts in the back of his head about the girl. Kobra's constant pestering hadn't helped much in alleviating said thoughts.

Jet Star was sitting outside, leaning against the BL/Ind vending machine, as Party approached the diner, strumming something familiar on his guitar.

"You're in a good mood," Party replied, sliding off the giant head and letting it hang behind his back.

"Yeah," Jet finished up the verse he was on before looking up at Party. A smile was on his face.

"I must have missed a good day, then," Party replied, leaning against the car, smiling as well. What could he say, it was contagious.

"Elec—I mean, Becca—made up with Mikey," Jet stood, dusting himself off.

Party raised his eyebrows. "So we're on a first name basis now?"

"Why don't you go ask her yourself? She's up on the roof, I think."

"And Frank and Mikey?"

"Frank's cleaning Mikey out of carbons playing poker. Grace is watching them," Jet shook his head. "I swear those two are going to teach her some bad habits."

Party laughed. "Well, that's what she gets hanging out with zone rats like us."

* * *

The sun was pretty much on the horizon as Party made his way up to the roof. He had taken some time to clean up from his long walk back and to loan some carbons to Kobra, who adamantly promised to pay him back. He liked to come up here, especially on nights when he was on patrol. The elevation was perfect that he could see to the edges of Zone 4 and give a decent warning if he needed to. Plus, something about the elevation calmed him whenever he smoked.

He had poked his head through the ceiling door, only to be presented with the business end of Electric's gun aimed at him across the roof. It lasted a few seconds, until she saw him walk forward with a placating gesture. She placed the gun back on the roof, taking out the earbuds in her ears.

"Mikey's right. You do have a quick draw," Party smiled as he walked over. She had positioned herself where a giant letter N had been years earlier, which with the other letters on the roof proudly boasted the word DINER. Now it just said DI_E_, a fitting message to the Drac patrols roaming the desert. She leaned against the I, letting her right leg hang over the edge of the roof.

Electric blushed under her silver-rimmed goggles as he settled himself across from her, leaning back against the E. "So I guess he told you of our little argument this morning?"

"Among things." He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead." She slid the goggles to the top of her head, rubbing her eyes as the full evening light hit them. They sat there in silence; Party smoking a cigarette, Electric fiddling with her headphones.

"Whatcha got on there?" She looked up at him, slightly confused. He gestured towards the MP3 in her hands.

"Oh, this thing?" she held up the questioned item. It was small, only as big as her palm. Multiple scratches covered the surface, but the original silver color shined in the evening glow. "Just some bands from before the Fires."

"Like?"

"I can't remember. The screen's all busted up. But they were all pretty big in the alternative scene, I hear."

"Can I take a listen?"

She passed over the player. It was only a matter of seconds before familiar lyrics poured into his head.

_Can you see_

_My eyes are shining bright_

'_Cause I'm out there_

_On the other side_

_Of a jet black hotel mirror_

_And I'm so weak_

_Is it hard understanding_

_I'm incomplete_

_A love that's so demanding_

_I get weak_

_I am not afraid to keep on living_

_I am not afraid to walk this world alone_

_Honey if you stay I'll be forgiving_

_Nothing you can say can stop me going home_

He listened to the rest of the song before passing the player back over.

"You've got good taste in music."

She blushed again. "My parents listened to these bands. I guess I get it from them."

"Have you ever listened to Mad Gear?"

"Mad Gear?"

"Mad Gear and the Missile Kid?"

Electric shook her head in confusion. "Who're they?"

"Only the best band in the zones! They got a show coming up at Hyper Thrusts in a couple of days. And you're coming with us. I'm not taking no for an answer."

"All right, all right!" Electric laughed. "I'll go! Sheesh."

The sat there for a few minutes in the silence, watching the sun set slowly among the horizon. He watched her as she sat, looking forlornly off towards the western sky, letting her fingers tangle themselves among the strings of charms and beads attached to her swords.

"Can I ask how you came across those?" he gestured towards the swords.

"They were my parents'," she softly spoke, looking back at him. She unclipped them from her belt, holding them out so he could see them clearly. "My dad spent a lot of time over in Japan before the Fires because of his job. He said he saw them one day when he was out and had to buy them. He didn't care that they weren't ornamental, cheap imitations. I just don't think he ever knew how much he would use it to survive."

"They actually used these to fight?"

"Yeah. Not that they didn't use a blaster. They were pretty good at shooting as well. But I think they saw something elegant when they killed Dracs with a sword instead of a laser."

"So what do these markings on here mean?" He pointed at the faded gold kanji on the sheath on one of the swords.

"'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'" The words came out smoothly and clear, with a hint of sorrow at the end as Electric twirled the hanging rosary in her hands.

"Don't tell me you're one of those religious nutcases from before the Wars." She looked up at him, her eyes full of mischief.

"And what if I was?"

"Are you?"

Electric let out a hollow laugh. "Those people were just as crazy as Better Living before they were wiped out. All this talk about the apocalypse and shit."

"Well, they were right about that," Party interjected.

"Don't remind me," she sighed.

"So why would you put that on a sword?" he mused.

"My mom was a pretty spiritual person. She didn't really believe in one thing. But something about that verse she liked, so she had it painted shortly after the Fires destroyed everything."

"What about the other one?" He pointed to the sword with strings of colorful beads hung from the hilt.

"'Once a renegade, always a rebel.'"

"Where's that from? I've never heard that before."

She smiled sadly, letting her fingers trace the painted symbols. "My dad. We kinda lived by those words."

"So you've been on the run for a long time?"

Electric nodded. "My dad denounced Better Living the day they took over the company he was working for. He said he always knew there were some not-so-good intentions within. I don't know much, I was only 10 when we went on the run."

Party studied her as she lamented. _Seven years on the run, growing up in a less-than-ideal situation when everything and everyone was trying to stop you._ Life had dealt him some cruel blows, but he never could imagine what it would be like to live out in the desert at that age, trying to survive. They barely survived nowadays.

_But at least they did survive._

"Whatcha thinking about, Party?" Electric asked. He looked up, the small smile on her face causing him to grin.

"Not much. And it's Gerard, but call me Gee."

"I know. I kinda overheard you and your brother arguing this morning," she looked down in embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

Party lifted her chin, his brown-green eyes peering into her emerald ones in the dimming light. "Don't be sorry. I figured we had someone listening this morning. We were making a lot of noise."

"So you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

Electric let out a big sigh of relief. "Thanks. And it's Rebecca, but I prefer Becca."

"Well then, Becca, you should really go get some sleep," Party rose off the ground. He helped Electric do the same. The sky above had become more purple now, showcasing a few bright stars in the sky.

"But I'm not tired," she managed to get out before yawning, causing her to blush.

"You're as bad as Grace. Now go relax and get some sleep. You need to be at full capacity tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Electric asked, pulling up the roof access door.

"Let's just say that we're helping out a friend. Now go on."

Electric began to climb down the ladder back into the diner. "And what about you?"

"I've got patrol duty for the night. Don't look at me like that. I've handled much bigger situations than this on less sleep."

"Whatever you say, boss." She continued her descent, before pausing halfway down.

"Good night, Gee."

"Good night, Becca."

He shut the roof access door before he returned to where they were conversing earlier. He slid another cigarette out, lighting it up before leaning against the E. There was something about Electric—no, Becca—that seemed genuine and sincere. Something that wasn't found easily in the desert anymore. But outside of that, there were things that he knew she wasn't revealing.

But for now, she was going to make a fabulous Killjoy. He just knew it.


	13. Planetary GO!

_A/N: Wow! We're to Chapter 13 already! Not sure how long we're going to go yet, but we might get into the 30s for chapters. But the main point of this is to direct you to my profile, where I have quick question for you, my readers. Basically, do you guys want a sequel? Let me know through the poll!_

Chapter 13: Planetary (GO!)

The S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guard sat in his comfortable air-conditioned tollbooth, reading once again about the scourge of the Zones in this morning's edition of The Battery City Times. As per usual, the pictures of the most wanted men in southern California, if not the country, graced the front page, each with a bold red X and the word EXTERMINATE pasted over their faces. It was just another boring, dusty morning, making sure that the underground tunnels were clear for any transports scheduled.

In other words, he was guarding for nothing. But that didn't mean he could slack off. He'd be dead if Korse ever found out.

So was he ever surprised to see a thin figure clad in yellow and black stumbling down the road towards his booth. Looking over his paper to get a better look, he could see her arms clutching around her abdomen in pain. _An easy chance to get another zone runner out of their hairs._

He grabbed his issued gun as he left the booth, feeling the hot desert air from outside the city collect inside the tunnel, making his mask stick to his face. As he approached, the figure fell to her knees cringing in pain. He was only steps away when he first spoke.

"Are you ok?" he asked, crouching down.

It was barely two seconds before he fell to the ground, stunned from a shot from a bright yellow laser blaster. Electric Revenge stood, keeping her gun trained on the unconscious guard.

"Now I am."

She could hear the squealing tires of the Trans-Am drive up behind her, echoing among the brick walls. It spun to a spectacular stop nearby.

"Good job, Electric," Party complimented, getting out of the car. Kobra followed suit, lifting the visor of his helmet as he stepped around front.

"Help me get him back to the booth." Kobra picked up the unconscious guard's legs, while Electric grabbed his arms. They half-carried/half-dragged him back to his post, perching him on the chair. It took some careful maneuvering to get his head to not to hang so low on his chest, but eventually they were able to make him look like he was just sitting still.

"Catch," Party threw a bag in Electric's direction, which she barely caught as she returned to the car. She slung it around her shoulder as Party slammed the trunk of the Trans-Am shut. A black briefcase-like container was clutched in his hand.

"You know what to do?" he asked his brother, who slid into the driver's seat of the Trans, slamming the visor back down over his eyes. He saw Jet's head nod under his black helmet. The off-color Frankenstein's monster mask over Ghoul's face also nodded.

"Call us when you're done," Kobra's muffled voice replied, before the engine roared. The tires spun before the three Killjoys zoomed down the road, nearly taking off the security gate at the guard's post.

"You ready, Electric?" Party looked down, sliding his yellow domino mask over his eyes and a red and black checked bandanna over his lower face. She slid down her goggles and covered her lower face with her bandanna.

"Ready."

* * *

Rocket Revolver had worked long into the night, manipulating wires with the scarce resources he had swiped from the kitchen during the food fight. It was slightly more challenging than he would have liked, as more guards were on patrol last night. He eventually resigned himself to working under his blanket in the dark, guessing at times on what he was doing.

The doors of the cell slid open at daybreak, followed by the sound of flesh hitting the cement floor. Two trays of this morning's breakfast were thrown on Chemical's bed before the door slammed shut again.

Rocket threw the blanket off of him after a few seconds, turning over in bed as he did. He nearly dry heaved as he saw Laser Shot on the floor, lying motionless. Rocket fell out of bed, as his brain neglected to tell his legs to move, as he made his way over to his best friend. He let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding on to as he saw Laser's chest rise and lower slowly. He wasn't letting out any sort of wheezing breaths, a good sign.

Yellow and purple bruises clashed horribly on Laser's pale skin and against the white prison garb. A couple of cuts marred his lips, while smeared blood had dried around his nose and mouth and onto his neck. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Rocket made him comfortable on the floor, afraid to move him up the three feet into the lower bunk. He tore off sheets, blankets and pillows from the beds, trying to provide some sort of comfort on the cold concrete. Breakfast didn't even appeal to him, afraid that it would just come back up due to the combination of adrenaline, nerves and nausea.

It was hours later that Laser finally stirred. Rocket nearly jumped as a faint moan escaped his friend's lips, having since gone back to work on the radio.

"Jumpy much?" Laser weakly smiled. The words escaped as breaths.

Rocket let out a short laugh. "Well, you did scare the crap out of me." He returned the smile. "How're you feeling?"

"Never piss off a Drac in isolation," Laser slowly stated, trying to get up. Rocket only pushed him gently back down.

"You need to rest," Rocket scolded. He pulled over one of the trays of now-cold food. "Hungry?"

"Starved." Laser was propped up on his pillows so he could enjoy breakfast. The two sat in silence; Laser choking down cardboard pancakes and cold coffee while Rocket messed with the radio further.

"Did you get it to work?" Laser asked a while later, trying to swallow down his poor excuse of a meal. It at least provided him some energy that he didn't have before.

"Almost," Rocket replied, twisting a few dials. "I'm going to have to wait until News gets in here for her to dial into the right frequency, but I think I got the signal boosted high enough." He looked at Laser. "When is open time?"

As if to answer his question, the door slid open. Open cell time was beginning; the only time where prisoners could mingle with others, though under heavy security inside the cellblock.

"You ready?" Laser asked.

"Ready."

* * *

Electric looked up at the building in front of her. She hadn't seen a building this tall since before the Fires. Well, truth be told, she hadn't been in a city as progressive as Battery City since her parents had gone on the run.

"So are you going to stare all day, or are you going to help?" She turned to see Party Poison a few feet off the ground, hanging off a ladder on the side of the building. She figured he had a grin rivaling one of Fun Ghoul's on his face under his bandanna. His hazel eyes sparkling with mischief under his mask confirmed that notion.

"What? I haven't seen a building this tall in a long time," she replied, following Party up the ladder.

"It's hardly that impressive," Party called down to her below. "Just take a look down the street."

"I haven't been in a city in a long time," Electric responded, feeling her arms begin to tire as they passed the second floor. They were barely halfway up the side of the building.

"That's probably a good thing. We aren't exactly that welcome here, you know."

"Like I couldn't tell with your faces posted on every wall in town."

"What can I say? We're just popular."

She let out a short laugh as Party helped her up onto the roof. "Sure. Popular." She looked up at the radio tower that stood in front of them. The steel structure shined in the sunlight that filtered in from the barrier protecting Battery City. "So what exactly was Dr. Death Defying asking us to do?"

"We need to figure out why his signal isn't getting out to the outer zones. This is the tallest tower that we've hacked into, but some of the runners have said they've been getting another person broadcasting over the airwaves."

They climbed up another ladder, which led them to the bottom of the steel frame of the tower. It was a huge structure, with wires and other electrical equipment running down and around the tower into the building below.

"Nothing looks out of the ordinary from here," she replied as Party walked around the corner. He was inspecting the wiring closely.

"Just keep looking around. There's got to be something causing it."

They split up, each taking a direction to circle around the tower. Electric looked as closely as she could. The wires all just looked the same to her. The same monotone black and white colors that seemed to plague the city and everything Better Living touched.

It was when she saw a splash of purple she tensed up. It surely didn't belong among the mass of monochromatic wires strung to the tower. She trailed it closely, following it as it rounded the tower to the other side.

She barely had time to duck, avoiding a flying projectile aimed at her face as she rounded the corner. By the time she looked up, she had her blaster in her grip, aimed and ready to shoot at her attacker. She fired off a few shots as she approached her assailant. They did no good as the attacker ran around the corner on the other side.

Electric rounded the corner as well, only to find herself having to avoid more projectiles aimed at her. One however, snagged the right sleeve of her jacket, pinning her arm to the containers attached to the tower. The movement caused her to lose her blaster, which the assailant picked up quickly, bringing it up to Electric's chest. Electric found her free wrist pinned her against the casing, unable to defend herself.

And very vulnerable.


	14. Na Na Na

Chapter 14: Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)

Mika Sasaki was the last person you'd figure to become a rebel. The daughter of one of the more prestigious families employed under Better Living, she was to be groomed for success after she graduated from the best school in Battery City, at the top of her class no less. Her brothers had done it, and now it was her turn. Shy and extremely antisocial, she survived on school work and the expectations of her parents, as well as the "perfect" pill her parents constantly promoted.

But as much as she tried to please her elders, she always found something missing in her life. Whatever it was, the drugs weren't able to help compensate for it. There wasn't anything that her family personally could do to fix it either; not that they would have helped. They were too busy trying to move up the corporate ladder that was BL/Ind.

It was a surprise, then, when she had heard something that was different than the daily thought adjustment transmissions and Fact News broadcasts that played daily around the city. It was literally music to her ears: a discarded radio lying in a dumpster. That's when she first heard of Dr. Death Defying and the so-called slaughter-matic sounds "louder than God's revolver and twice as shiny." All she had ever heard was elevator music, and that was rarely.

So she began her own side project, something to fill that thing missing in her life. She scoured the city in her limited spare time, looking for any remaining remnants of music like the doctor on the radio played. And she did find music; old CDs that were scratched but still playable, digital MP3 players with days' worth of music downloaded on their small microchips. She had even found some old vinyl records and an old turntable that still worked, all kept hidden away in an underground tunnel long forgotten by Better Living Industries.

But she was never expecting this project of hers to involve her with the underground movement inside Battery City. There were rebels, much like the zone runners in the desert, only afraid to leave the city. They were surviving too, facing their own dangers while avoiding S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W as much as possible, living unblinded and drug-free.

It was her love of music that helped determine her new identity and provided her with what she considered an important job in the underground. She began to spin tunes and send messages, just like the doctor who enlightened her into this new world.

During the day, she was Mika Sasaki, the shy, studious student everyone expected her to be. But at night, she was Techno Beat, the spirited, stinging DJ to the rebels of Battery City.

She wasn't expecting to hear snooping footsteps the one morning she decided to check on the tower she hacked into for her broadcasts. She armed herself with the knives attached to the holster around her thigh. It was her constant weapon, just in case of a situation like this. Barely any of the rebels in the city carried blasters; they were too noticeable when most of the rebels in the city lived dual lives. But she was still a threat nonetheless.

She was surprised how easy it was to disarm whoever decided to sneak up on her. A couple of knives thrown, before retreating and attacking as her assailant rounded the corner, it was nothing.

"Who are you?" she asked as menacingly as possible, which was quite hard for her. This whole situation was foreign. She never had to attack anyone before. She had never been involved in a Drac raid, though those stories were told plenty of times among the rebels, and probably exaggerated for the most part.

The girl she had pinned was probably close to her age of 15, if not a bit older, but she was dressed in the brightest shade of yellow. Well, anything was bright compared to the white, black, or the occasional deviation of a shade of gray that everyone in Battery City wore. But even the black accents on the yellow jacket almost seemed brighter than any other shade of black she had seen. And even her hair was full of colors, ranging from pinks to blues in the strands framing her face. Much more vibrant than her plain straight black hair.

"I'd ask you the same thing," the girl answered, trying to free her left wrist, but Techno held fast.

"You're the one attacking me, so I'll ask the questions." Techno hoped she was coming off ferocious. "Who are you?"

"I'd ask you the same thing." This time, the response came from behind her, in a tenor voice of a man. Techno spun her head around, only to find a yellow laser blaster aimed between her eyes.

"Let her go."

Techno obliged, letting go of the girl's wrist and pulling the knife from the sleeve.

"You okay, Electric?" The masked man asked the girl behind her, concern dotting his voice.

"I'll be fine," she muttered. "But what about her?"

"That's a good question," the man responded, keeping his blaster steady. "But I have a feeling we found our problem."

* * *

It hadn't taken long for the Kobra Kid, Jet Star and Fun Ghoul to knock out the guards securing the supply depot. It was a smaller operation near the secondary gates, one that Better Living probably wouldn't miss. All the same, the Killjoys took the same precautions to ensure a successful supply run.

"We're going to be good for months," Jet commented, throwing another box of dehydrated food in the trunk. It was becoming very full of boxes of canned fruit and dehydrated instant-meals. Better Living supplements and water-purification tablets rounded out today's shopping list; the smaller boxes being thrown on top of the bigger ones.

"As long as we aren't taking in anyone else," Kobra bitterly added, jumping off the loading dock platform with another box in his hands. "We're not a fucking charity organization."

"I told you, you should have fought with Electric," Ghoul replied. "Would have answered a lot of questions for you."

"Shut up," Kobra glared at Ghoul. He could tell that Ghoul was grinning under his mask.

Jet just shook his head. "I swear you two act like a bunch of little kids sometimes."

A flash of white bounced of the car, sending all three Killjoys ducking for cover. A barrage of white lasers rained down from all directions moments later.

"The fuck?" Kobra managed to get out, scrambling for the driver's side door.

"Let's go!" Jet yelled, slamming the lid down as he ran to the car door. They all managed to get in the car unscathed. Kobra floored the accelerator, sending the car roaring out of the loading area in a matter of seconds. Ghoul and Jet returned fire, hanging out the windows as they tore onto the streets of Battery City.

* * *

"So you were able to get enough power to get the signal over their jamming devices?" News asked, studying over Rocket's radio.

"It should be. A little boost to the circuitry to give it more power was all that it really needed. I don't think the jamming devices would have affected this radio that much anyway. It's a standard issue Better Living brand."

"Still, it's probably good that you did boost it," News began to fiddle with the dials as she sat down on Chemical's bed, where Laser laid sleeping off last night's torments and this morning's breakfast. She sadly looked down at him. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He's pretty resilient," Rocket informed her. He glanced out of the cell, making sure there were no guards nearby. "Are you sure there won't be any interruptions?"

"I'm pretty sure," News smiled as she manipulated the dials. "A couple of friends said they would make some trouble for them around Block 4. It should drive off any snooping guards or prisoners."

"I just wish Chemical was here to give the message," Rocket sadly stated, sitting across from News. "It's his sister we're trying to contact after all."

"He would be preferable, but I'd rather send this coded out to the Zones. Dr. D should understand what I'm saying and pass the message along to the Killjoys."

"As long as the message gets sent out today," Rocket began to fidget. He couldn't help it. He just didn't want—no, need—anything to go wrong.

"Got it," News declared. She looked up at him, a smile on her face.

"You ready?"


	15. Under Pressure

Chapter 15: Under Pressure

Electric didn't like this one bit. Maybe she was bitter because some Asian chick got the upper hand and had almost completely unarmed her; she didn't know. But she for sure didn't like having to babysit for their new captive.

_Now I know how Mikey feels…_

"You know, you could have made this a lot easier on yourself if you would've told him how to unwire your stuff from the tower," she sighed. She was met with silence.

"Look," Electric started again, "I know you can speak. Why don't you just talk to me instead of giving me the silent treatment?"

The girl looked at Electric, doe-brown eyes full of some indiscernible emotion. _This girl is a mess of mystery_, Electric bitterly thought. It was true, as the girl was wearing the standard white palate that any other resident of Battery City wore. It was the belt full of sharp knives now in Electric's possession that gave any sign she wasn't a normal citizen.

"Why would a fellow rebel keep one as their prisoner?" the girl responded, before turning away from Electric.

W_hat the hell does that even mean?_

"Electric," she silently rejoiced as Party Poison called her over with a wave of his hand. "Ready to give the good doc a call?"

She nodded, unlocking the black briefcase-like container they brought with them. Inside were rows of buttons and a few digital screens, along with a phone. It was a bit more primitive than a cell phone, but it was so much easier to hide the signal among the multiple frequencies that bounced around in the Zones. She turned it on, punching the code that Party had her memorize on the way to the tower earlier in the day. It barely rung once before she heard the discernable tone of Dr. Death Defying's voice come through clearly through the receiver.

"We back on the air?"

"Hi to you too, Dr. D," Electric chuckled. "And yes, we should be back on the air shortly. Party's just finishing rewiring the remote station."

"Good. Show Pony told me the motor babies out in Zone 6 have been grumbling. Some chick has been blasting on the waves."

"A girl, huh?" Electric looked over her shoulder at the girl sitting less than five feet from her. The girl turned her head away a moment too late.

"I think we may have found our so called 'pirate' DJ," Electric grinned. The girl's eyes went wide.

"Did you now?" Dr. D's voice sounded intrigued. "Care to give her a lift out to the Zones for a heart-to-heart?"

"I'd thought you'd never ask. We should be out there in an hour or so."

"So we have another person joining us on the way back," Party commented as Electric packed up the satellite phone.

"Sounds like it," Electric stood, pulling out her blaster. "We ready to go then?"

The radio clipped to Party's belt crackled to life.

"Party? Party! Come in!" the panicked voice of Kobra came through the waves of static.

"Kobra? What is it?" Party responded.

"We've hit a snag with the plan," Kobra's voice faded in and out with the suspicious sounds of crackling electricity. "Shit!"

"Kobra? Kobra!" Party screamed into the radio.

"Party, what is it?" Electric asked, dragging the girl over. Party's shoulders slightly shook as he stared at the radio.

"We need to go. Now!" Party started for the ladder.

* * *

"Shit!" Kobra cursed again, shaking his hand. He wasn't expecting that blast to come straight through the back windshield and take out the radio he was talking on. And he knew that his brother was going to be flipping out not knowing if they were dead or not.

"You better floor it, Kobra!" Jet yelled from the back seat.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Kobra hollered back, pushing harder on the accelerator. It was either luck or fate that the roads in Battery City were for the most part clear. At least it helped Kobra pull a few spectacular moves as they zoomed around corners to evade the Draculoids on their tail.

Ghoul whooped in excitement as one of his shots blew out the tire on the pursuing car, sending it crashing into a building. "That'll teach 'em!" He threw himself back into his seat, checking the charge on his blaster.

"Good," Kobra sighed. He knew that they weren't done with the Dracs yet, but this at least gave them some time. "Now to pick up Party and get the hell out of here."

* * *

"Wait, News!" Rocket grabbed the radio from NewsAGoGo's hands.

"What the…?" News barely got the words out as Rocket stuffed the radio underneath the sleeping form of Laser. He didn't move as the blocky object became lodged in between his back and the mattress.

"What's going on in here?" a patrolling guard stopped in front of the open cell door. His masked head turned as the creepy smiling face looked at Rocket, then News. "Females aren't allowed in this block."

"I just wanted to make sure that my friend was okay after last night," News layered on the sweetness, placing an innocent smile on her face. "I promise I won't take any more than five minutes."

The guard sighed after a few long moments, shaking his head. "Only five minutes. Then if you want to talk, it's going to have to be in the dining hall. Got it?"

They both nodded their heads obediently. They waited until the guard had passed a couple more rooms before they both let out the breaths they were holding.

"That was amazing, News," Rocket slumped onto the bed. News sat down next to him, pulling the radio out of their hiding place.

"Not as amazing as you hiding this that fast," News complimented, before her face fell into a frown.

"What?"

"I gotta reset the frequencies. They got moved when we hid it."

"How long should it take? We're on borrowed time now."

"Give me a minute. We're getting this message out one way or another."

* * *

Electric peered out of the alleyway, blaster in hand. The city streets were quiet, but she could hear the sirens of the Draculoid patrols off in the distance.

"The coast is clear, Party," she whispered. Party followed her onto the bright sidewalk, prisoner in tow. They had to bind her hands behind her back using some spare wire , after she tried to grab a knife from her leg holster, which now hung off Electric's belt.

"Then let's get moving. The sooner we get underground…" he left the sentence hang, but Electric knew what he was implying. She made wide swipes with her blaster as they made their way down the sidewalk, ensuring there were no patrolling Dracs hiding in the alleyways. It was a slow, nerve-racking process as they made their way down the street, not helped as the sirens off in the distance became louder.

They eventually made it to their destination: a manhole cover only a few blocks away from the radio tower. Party handed over guard duty as he went to work pulling up the cover so they could make their escape underground.

"Party, wait!" Electric threw her hand up as she focused in on the cavalcade of sounds echoing throughout the city. "Do you hear that?"

He stood, looking down the road in the same direction as Electric. He heard it too. It sounded so familiar…

The Trans-Am sped around the corner a block up the road, coming to a spinning stop in front of the three.

"Get in!" Kobra shouted. They didn't need to be told twice.

"The fuck?" Ghoul asked as Party and Electric threw their captive in the back seat.

"We'll explain later," Party replied, shutting the passenger door. It was a tight fit, but Electric had somehow perched herself halfway between the center console and Party's lap. Kobra floored the accelerator, gunning them down the street away from the sirens off in the distance.

"So, do we have any plans in how to get out of this mess?" Electric asked Kobra, checking the charge on her blaster.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to be Killjoy cab services this morning, was I?" he retorted, nodding his head towards their unwelcome guest.

"Visitor for Dr. D," Electric shortly explained, before sticking her head up through the open roof. "But I'm more concerned about the Dracs on our tail."

The other Killjoys looked out the windows. Sure enough, three black cars emblazoned with the Better Living logo were following them, and coming quickly. Jet and Ghoul joined Electric looking out of the roof, beginning round two of their assault. Party accompanied them, shooting out of the passenger window. But for as many shots as they fired, the pursuing cars weren't deterred.

"Now what do we do?" Jet ducked for cover as he changed the battery for his blaster. "We're getting outnumbered, and fast."

"Go to the tunnels." A whisper of a voice came from the girl in the backseat. They all looked at her.

"What did you say?" Electric asked.

"Go to the tunnels," the girl said louder, avoiding the five pairs of eyes staring at her. "I know of a way to lose them."

"You heard her," Party replied. "To the tunnels."

Kobra nodded under his helmet, giving the car more gas. They sped down the road, heading to the outskirts of Battery City. They remaining Killjoys resumed shooting, hoping to keep their pursuers from gaining any more ground. The girl gave quiet directions to Kobra, telling him when and where to turn in quick succession. The moves threw all the passengers from one side to another as Kobra maneuvered the car into the tunnels.

"Pull off to the right," the girl pointed off to the side. A side tunnel appeared among the brick wall, which they quickly entered.

"I didn't know this existed," Party commented as Kobra shut the engine off.

"It's a service tunnel that's supposed to blend in with the walls," the girl said, leaning back against the back seat. "They won't see us here."

As if to prove her point, the black cars went zooming past the entrance, heading towards the desert.

"Let's just stay here for a few minutes," Party looked around the car. "It should be safer to get on to Route Guano then."

"So did you fix the signal?" Jet Star asked, looking between Electric and Party. They looked at one another, raising their eyebrows in amusement.

"Of course," Electric flipped on the radio, turning the volume up as she tuned into Dr. Death Defying's station at frequency 109.

But it wasn't Dr. D's voice, or his music, that came from the speakers.


	16. Hang 'Em High

_A/N: Just a couple things before we move on with the story. I have to say that I'm still enjoy hearing people's reviews on my stories, so don't feel shy about posting a review. They always make my day._

_So I realized that if I keep updating every three days, this thing might not be finished being published until June. And I don't think you guys want to wait that long, do you? So I'm moving up my posting schedule to every other day. That should also keep me on top of getting these chapters written ahead of time much quicker than they have been coming..._

_Oh, and my survey is still going on my profile page. Still interested if you guys want a sequel to this story. Feel free to vote!_

_That's about it! On with the story!_

Chapter 16: Hang 'Em High

_"Min'na! Jūyōna happyō! Anata no fukushū to shōgeki-tekina shisutemu o shite kudasai! Uchigawa kata doku wa, sorera o jibun-tachi no hone ga sukete mieru made! Keimusho no kabe ga watashi-tachi o iji suru koto wa dekimasen!" _

"What the hell?" The sentiment echoed throughout the car as fluent Japanese flooded the speakers. But the voice sounded familiar to four out of the six listening.

"Is that…News?" Ghoul asked.

"Sure sounds like it." Jet replied, stunned. "But I thought she was ghosted months ago out in Zone 5."

"News?" Electric looked up at Jet and Ghoul. "What's that?"

"A who, actually. NewsAGoGo was our 'man on the scene' for Dr. D," Jet explained.

"Except for the fact she's a woman," Ghoul added.

"I hate it when she does this," Kobra lifted up his visor as he joined the conversation. "She knows that barely any of us know Japanese. Just because Dr. D knows it…"

Electric listened for a bit as the message played. She knew some of the language, but there was no way she could translate this much this fast.

"'Everybody. An important announcement,'" the girl mumbled under her breath.

"What?" Electric looked at the girl. She was still staring at the floor. "What announcement?"

"On the radio," the girl spoke quietly.

Electric grabbed the girl's shoulders, causing her to look up. "You can understand this?"

The girl nodded. "My parents taught me when I was younger."

The rest of the car went quiet, except for the rampant Japanese blasting in the background.

The girl shook her head. "It's so strange, this message."

"Tell us word for word what it says," Party calmly assured her, accented by a genuine smile.

She slightly smiled back as she concentrated on the words. "'Keep shocking the system with your revenge. Poison them from the inside out until their bones show through. Prison walls can't keep us down.'"

The voice on the radio cut off, replaced by the sound of shredding guitars blasting out of the speakers. Kobra turned it down quickly before their ears started bleeding.

"What was that about?" he asked, turning around in the driver's seat. Ghoul and Jet shrugged.

"It's got to be coded somehow," Party mused. "What do you think, Electric?"

Electric, however, didn't hear a word. She knew what the message said.

* * *

NewsAGoGo had barely finished up speaking the last words of her message as the radio was blasted out of her hand. She quickly turned to see the Chief Exterminator standing behind her, his white blaster smoking. His grey suit stood out among the blinding whiteness of the cell. A handful of guards stood around him. A few had their weapons aimed, ready to fire.

"I thought we taught you better, 171927," Korse shook his head. Two guards rushed in, pinning her arms behind her as they snapped on a pair of handcuffs. She was thrown to the other guards, where both Rocket and Laser stood. They too had been handcuffed, struggling slightly in the grip of the guards.

"You should know better than to mess with a Killjoy," News spat back. Her almond eyes flashed in anger as she struggled in the guard's grip.

Korse stepped forward, a dangerous look on his face. "What did you tell them?"The words were curt and icy.

News kept her mouth shut, not daring to speak a word. But a small gasp did escape from Rocket and Laser as Korse grabbed her neck, placing his blaster under her chin.

"What did you tell them?" he repeated. She kept staring defiantly at him.

Korse began to chuckle, an absolutely despicable sound that sent shivers down not just the prisoners' spines, but those of the guards in the vicinity. "You're just asking for me to hurt you, aren't you, 171927?"

He smiled, adding another level of sinister to his pale face. "I won't play your little game. But I do have something planned for you." He let go of her neck, pushing her back into the guards holding her.

"Rehabilitate her," he told the two guards holding News. "She'll make a great operative."

"No!" Laser shouted as they dragged News from the group. He struggled against his captors' grip until a hard elbow into his already bruised stomach sent him to his knees. Rocket tried to tear his arms out of the guards holding him, only to stop once Korse's white blaster was aimed at his face.

"It seems you two just can't stay out of trouble like your friends, can we?" Korse looked at them. The smile on his face grew even bigger. "But at least you still have some choice in your fates." He looked up at his guards.

"Take them to isolation. We need to have a talk."


	17. Teenagers

Chapter 17: Teenagers

Dr. Death Defying shook his head at the situation before him. The Killjoys, plus two, had returned to his station only twenty minutes ago, but he knew something serious had happened in the few short hours they had been in Battery City. And not all of it had to do with the girl that stood before him. But he had to deal with this first.

"What's your name, sunshine?" he asked. She looked unsure of herself, possibly scared out of her mind, as she clutched her left arm close to her body with her right. Party had said she had barely spoken once she had been within their vicinity. And when she did speak, it was very quiet. Of course, she did look a bit suspicious, with her blindingly white and black Better Living-brand clothing. There was no speck of color on the girl; even her eyes were black as coal.

"Honey, we aren't going to get far like this," he grumbled, turning around in his chair. He needed to put on the next song. He just didn't know which one.

He turned back around after a few seconds of fruitless searching, looking back at the teenage girl, who had slunk down onto a filthy mattress. She was staring across the room at the crooked shelves of vinyl laid across the wall. He could see on her face and in her hands that she was itching to search through his library. After all, she was the elusive DJ of Battery City, supposedly.

"Would you like to help me out?" he asked. She looked at him, dumbfounded.

He laughed. "I'm not all mean and grumpy, you know. But I can't find the right song to play next. You look like you have good taste in music. Pick somethin' out for me."

She slowly got up, obviously nervous, letting herself shuffle over to the wall lined with records. He couldn't help but chuckle as she began to finger through years' worth of music. _She's an interesting character, that one._

She held out a record after a minute of searching. He grabbed it, raising an eyebrow at her direction. "How come this one?"

"I think we need some cheering up," she explained, pointing at the record. "And it's a bit of a rally cry. Not just for the Killjoys, but for anyone fighting."

He nodded, putting the record on the turntable before grabbing his mike to start his inter-song transmission.

"_Look alive, sunshine_," he winked at the girl, who had now moved closer to see him work.

_109 in the sky  
__But the pigs won't quit  
__You're here with me, Dr. Death Defying  
__I'll be your surgeon, your proctor, your helicopter  
__Pumpin' out the slaughter-matic sounds to keep you alive  
__A system failure for the masses  
__Anti-matter for the master plan  
__Louder than God's revolver  
__And twice as shiny_

_This one's for all you rock 'n rollers  
__All you crash queens and motor babies_

He nodded over to the girl, who dropped the needle on the record player. A guitar solo started to sound as the song began.

_Listen up!_

_The future is bulletproof!  
__The aftermath is secondary!  
__It's time to do it now and do it loud!  
__Killjoys, make some noise!_

"Quite interesting to pick 'Na Na Na,'" he commented as the lyrics began to play. "But I agree with why you'd choose it. How long have you been a DJ?"

The girl looked down shyly, slightly embarrassed by the praise. "Only a couple months or so. I joined the rebellion recently."

"There's hope for you yet, sunshine," he mused. "I haven't seen some this passionate 'bout music since I met Hot Chimp."

The girl smiled, looking up under her bangs. He could see some color return to her eyes, bringing some life to her face.

"But first, I would like a name, so I don't have to keep callin' ya sunshine."

"It's Techno Beat, Dr. Death Defying." Her voice had a bit more confidence in it than before.

"Well, Techno Beat, we're first gonna to have to get you out of that poor excuse for Killjoy gear. Go find Show Pony. He should be able to find something somewhat decent for you."

She gave another smile as she headed towards the entrance, only to stop before she walked out the saloon-style doors. "Which one is Show Pony?" she turned around and asked.

* * *

It was noticeably uncomfortable as the Killjoys sat outside Dr. D's shack. Party had thought it would be easier on the girl if she was in there alone, instead of having more menacing-looking people breathing down her neck. But everyone knew the real reason why they were standing outside.

"So she hasn't said a thing since you left Battery City?" Show Pony asked as he leaned against a broken vending machine.

Jet shook his head. "Ever since News' message played."

"She's scaring the living shit out of me," Party commented.

"But what did the message say? I mean, I heard it and all, but I don't know a word of Japanese."

"Keep shocking the system with your revenge," Electric morosely spoke for the first time in hours, causing the assembled group to look down at her. Even Grace, who had curled up next to Electric on the ground and wrapped her arms around Electric's middle, looked up. "Poison them from the inside out until their bones show through. Prison walls can't keep us down."

"Well, yeah. But what does it mean?" Ghoul asked.

She looked up at them. They all had concerned looks on their unmasked faces. Even Kobra looked minutely compassionate.

"He's alive," she whispered, voice breaking. Her body began to shake, which only caused Grace to hug her tighter.

Party crouched down, taking her hands into his. A sob was caught in her throat as she looked up at his concerned face.

"Becca, who's alive?" he asked quietly. There was no denying that he was worried for their new friend, even if they had only known each other for a few days.

She shook her head in denial. "I knew he was alive, but now that I actually _know_…"

"Becca, who's alive?" he repeated, a bit more forcefully. She finally looked back at him.

"Chemical Skeleton. My brother."

The group fell silent as the words registered.

"But isn't that a good thing?" Grace broke the momentary silence, looking between Party and Electric.

"It is, honey," Electric replied, hugging Grace back. "It really is."

The board allowing entrance into Dr. D's shack swung open, diverting their attention away from the drama around Electric. The quiet girl from Battery City slipped out, letting the board slide back to its original position behind her.

"Which one is Show Pony?" she meekly asked, looking up through her bangs. The roller-skating Killjoy raised his hand as he stood up straight.

"Dr. Death Defying says you can get me something better to wear than this." She gestured to her bland outfit.

Pony nodded, grabbing the girl's hand. "Sure, of course." He looked over at Party, who was still crouched down in front of Electric. "Can I borrow the car and take her into town?"

"As long as you're not driving with your skates on," Party answered. He looked back at Electric, who had moved her gaze back down to her lap. "Why don't you go with them? Get your mind off things."

"Come on, Electric," Grace stood, grabbing Electric's elbow and trying to pull her up off the ground. "It'll be fun."

Electric chuckled as Grace and Party helped her off the ground. "Well, when you put it that way, Grace…" She looked over at Party. "What about you guys? You won't have a ride."

"We need to talk to Dr. D anyway. And it's not like you're going to crash the car, right?"

"You'd really think I'd pull a Fun Ghoul on you?" Show Pony asked, opening the car door for the quiet girl.

"Oh come on, you guys," Ghoul lamented. "Are you never going to trust me with the car again?"

"No," Party, Jet and Kobra replied simultaneously.

"You guys aren't any fun, you know that?" Ghoul muttered, sliding the board up to enter the shack.

"Because we're Killjoys, remember?" Kobra replied, amused, only to get a punch in the arm from Ghoul.

"That's my joke!"

"I should probably make sure they don't resort to violence," Jet shook his head as he followed them inside, leaving Electric and Party alone.

"Why don't you find out a little more about our newest recruit while you're shopping?" Party looked over his shoulder. The girl sat slumped in the backseat of the Firebird while Show Pony helped Grace get in next to her.

"Just as long as she doesn't throw knives at my head." Electric looked down at her hands still clasped in Party's. She gave a small squeeze before he let go.

"Thanks, Gee."

"We'll figure out what to do about your brother. I promise."

She nodded.

"I know you will."


	18. Desolation Row

Chapter 18: Desolation Row

Pain was all Chemical felt as he crawled out of the black abyss of unconsciousness and into the blaring white-washed walls of the hospital ward. He found himself on his stomach in a hospital bed, with something wrapped around his chest. Whatever it was, it was tight enough to make it hard to breathe properly. He tried to move his hands to alleviate the pressure, but they only moved inches from the railings of the bed. The padded restraints around his wrists were doing their job correctly.

A nurse noticed his fidgeting and walked over, inspecting his vitals quickly on the machines before an authoritative cough interrupted her work.

"Chief Exterminator Korse," she meekly backed away from the bed. "I wasn't expecting you..."

A raised hand silenced her. Two Draculoids approached the bed and began to unbuckle the restraints around Chemical's wrists. It took a few moments for the nurse to get over her shock. She ran over, attempting to stop the Dracs.

"Chief Exterminator, I can't have you removing this patient from here. He's still critically…"

Two more of Korse's Draculoids grabbed the nurse, causing her to struggle in their grip. Korse walked over, an attempt at a sincere smile on his face as he looked down on the nurse.

"351624 has been consorting with a small number of others. He has hereby been assigned to a new cell in isolation."

"The doctor…"

"The doctor has graciously allowed me permission to move 351624 out of the hospital ward," Korse finished. He nodded over to his Draculoids. Chemical couldn't help it, but a scream of pain echoed in his throat as his hands were cuffed behind him, rubbing through the thin prison uniform and bandages, against where he was shot. He could barely keep his legs moving fast enough as the Draculoids pulled him out of bed and out of the room.

"I advise you return to your other patients." Korse turned on his heel, leaving the dumbfounded nurse alone with an empty hospital bed.

* * *

"God, does my back itch," Laser lamented, shifting against the cold stone walls, attempting not to make his bound arms number than they already were.

"Don't think about it," Rocket scolded. "You'll make it worse if you do."

"But it's so annoying."

"Well, I'm not in a position to help right now, so deal with it."

"Why are you so grumpy?"

"How are you even asking that question right now?"

The steel door scraped open, silencing their conversation. Laser could feel Rocket stiffen next to him as Chemical was dragged in, struggling weakly in the Dracs' grip. He was thrown to the floor in front of them, handcuffs and all.

"Chemical," Rocket barely whispered, but Chemical heard. He looked up at Rocket, giving him a slight smile in response.

"You guys okay?"

Rocket nodded, keeping his eyes cast down.

"What happened?" Chemical twisted around to look at Laser.

"They caught us mid-message," Laser admitted. "Shot the radio right out of News' hand and dragged us off into here."

"Where's News?"

Laser shook his head, unable to answer the question.

"She's being rehabilitated," Rocket looked up finally. Chemical saw a black bruise forming around his eye.

"So where does that leave us?"

Rocket looked over at Laser before looking back at Chemical. But before he could answer, footsteps echoed outside the room. The form of Chief Exterminator Korse stood in the doorway, a truly evil smile on his face.

"Fucked."

* * *

Electric couldn't be happier once they got into town. The whole car ride had been full of questions from both Show Pony and Grace about the mystery girl. All they received back were answers of silence. Electric didn't pay much attention to what they exactly said; her mind was still back in Battery City.

"Show Pony!" A boisterous voice brought Electric back to the deserts of Zone 2. She had unconsciously followed the group into a run-down shop, where a middle-aged man with an infectious smile waved enthusiastically at them.

"Tommy Chow Mein. I didn't know you relocated," Pony gave the man a hug.

"You know those Dracs. They like to crash a good party." He looked at the assembled group of females by the door. "And who do we have here?"

"Oh, just some friends of mine. This is Grace." Pony gestured towards the smallest of the group, who waved back just as enthusiastically as Tommy. "The taller girl is Electric Revenge, and, uh, I actually haven't gotten the name of the other one."

"It's Techno Beat," she mumbled, blushing.

"She needs new clothes!" Grace exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement.

"I can see that," Tommy commented, studying the plain girl. She blushed even more. "I think I might have something for her. Let me go grab some things from the back." With that, he turned and entered the back room with a flourish of the curtained door.

"Electric, why don't you stay here with Techno?" Show Pony asked.

"Where are you going?"

"I have a couple of errands to run. Grace, you wanna come with me?"

Grace nodded, dropping the old cell phone she was playing with back onto the shelf.

"Just be careful around Tommy," Pony warned. "He's a bit eccentric."

"I'll make sure," Electric answered. Pony nodded as he exited the shop, Grace in tow.

Electric watched Techno wander around the shop for a while, looking at the eclectic collection of items on the shelves. Cracked picture frames, broken appliances and a random assortment of electrical equipment made up most of the inventory. Techno eventually ended up by a side wall, with an interested look in her eyes. Electric followed her, looking over her shoulder at what was catching Techno's attention.

"Those look cool," Electric commented, causing Techno to jump.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to do that."

Techno shook her head. "It's okay."

"So you do talk?"

Techno shrugged, looking back down at the old pair of padded headphones in her hands.

"So why the silent treatment? The Killjoys don't mean any harm."

Techno looked up. "I've never been outside the city before," she admitted. "It's a lot to take in."

"Well, there isn't much out here, but sand and the occasional upright building," Electric commented. "It's not as pretty as Battery City, mind you."

"Anything's better than Battery City," Techno sighed. She examined the padded headphones, running her fingers over the scratched chrome accents.

Electric looked at the girl, not sure what to say. But she was saved, luckily, by Tommy coming out of the back room with a bundle of clothing in his arms.

"Not sure what you like, so it's a little of everything. Dressing room is in the back." He shrugged behind him.

"Thanks," Techno replied. "You want to help me pick something out, Pika-chan?"

"Pika-what?" Electric's mouth dropped.

"You kind of look like that old cartoon character that used to be on TV when I was younger. Especially with all that yellow and black on you."

Electric giggled. "The electric rat? Really?"

"And your hair is standing on end, like you were electrocuted," Techno smiled as she continued her explanation.

"Well, that's deliberate." Her smile caused a small giggle to come from Techno as they walked towards the back of the store.


	19. It's Not a Fashion Statement

Chapter 19: It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Fucking Deathwish

"So what's with the 'chan' at the end?" Electric asked, leaning against the wall near the changing room. The question had been bugging her for the last few minutes.

"You say it at the end of a friend's name. Well, in Japanese, at least," Techno replied from behind the curtain.

"So you consider me a friend?"

"I don't know. It just came out naturally."

Electric looked over as the curtain opened. Gone was the shy girl dressed in the white and black mandated by Better Living. Instead stood a much more confident female, clad in an outfit Electric was sure she would never think that the girl from Battery City would ever wear.

"It's that bad, isn't it?" Techno asked, downtrodden.

"No, no! You look really good." Electric led her to the dirty mirror just outside the room. "See?"

Techno looked at the crazy outfit she had picked out. She had on a fitted, but worn, purple and violet-striped thermal top that hung off her shoulders, the sleeves covering her hands. A thin black cargo vest was paired with it, hanging off her shoulders a bit, revealing the straps of a black tank underneath the top. A pair of dark Bermuda-length cargo shorts hung off her thin hips and down close to her knees, which paired perfectly with the dark purple tights that she had on underneath. Finishing out the ensemble were the calf-high strappy black boots she was wearing earlier.

"Purple looks really good on you," Electric replied. "It brings out the violet in your hair."

"You really think so?"

"Hold on one second." Electric knelt down in front of Techno. She folded up the edges of the shorts about halfway up the thigh, so that the ends of the pockets peeked out from underneath. As a finishing touch, she tied back on Techno's holster full of knives around her right thigh.

"Now you look great."

Techno looked back into the mirror, marveling at her new outfit. She let her hands travel to her long black hair, frowning as she ran her fingers through it.

"Do you have anything that I can tie my hair up with?"

Electric nodded, ripping two strips of fabric from one of her undershirts. "Will this do?"

Techno went to work, twisting her hair up into two tight buns on the top of her head. She tied them into place with the scrap fabric, letting some of the hair fall and frame her face. She smiled when she was completed.

"Perfect."

A wolf whistle behind them tore their attention away from their reflections, causing both of them to turn around. Techno blushed as Tommy approached them.

"I have to say that I do good," he approached the two girls. "But this is still missing something." He turned around, digging into one of the many boxes against the wall. He pulled out a black shoulder holster. "You can't survive out in the desert without this."

"But I don't know how to use a gun," Techno whispered to Electric.

"Seriously?"

Techno nodded.

"Don't worry about it," Tommy approached Techno. "You can have it at no extra cost."

Electric grabbed the holster, sensing Techno becoming uncomfortable due to her lack of experience with a firearm. He frowned before shrugging. "Let me know if there's anything else you want."

"Do you have any extra batteries?" Electric inquired as Techno slipped the holster on over her vest. "I'm running out of ammo."

Tommy shook his head. "Nah, the only batteries you're gonna get here are from that stupid machine out front." He thumbed over his shoulder towards the door.

"But you're gonna have to get them out somehow."

A few minutes later, the three of them stood in front of the white Better Living brand vending machine. Tommy slammed his hand against it, leaning against it.

"Those goons still fill this thing on occasion," Tommy commented as Electric and Techno studied the machine. "Kind of a benefit in a populated town this far out. Though nobody has a legit Better Living ID. Can't seem to counterfeit those things anymore."

"So what do you think, Techno?" Electric slid her goggles down over her face, ignoring Tommy's rant. The sunshine was becoming quite bright.

"It's a matter of manipulating the scanner, fooling the machine that you're a Better Living worker," Techno looked over at Electric, smiling. "Easy."

"So you could hack into the machine?" Electric marveled.

Techno nodded. "I'm pretty good at computers. I can hack a couple of things, but I'm not completely perfect at it."

She looked over at Tommy. "Can I use some of your gear in the shop?"

Tommy raised his eyebrows as they interrupted his side comments. "It's gonna cost ya." His gaze travelled to the swords on Electric's hips. "Those should cover it, and anything else you need from me today."

Electric slapped her hand over the swords. "They aren't negotiable."

She pulled out a wad of carbons in her pocket. "Here's 40. I think it should cover everything."

"Don't pay him Electric," Show Pony's voice broke in. They turned around, watching Show Pony and Grace walk forward, each with a full bag in their possession. He lifted up the visor on his helmet "It's going on Dr. D's tab."

"That old man is going to have to pay up eventually," Tommy sighed, leaning back against the machine.

Pony shook his head. "So what's with us outside?"

"I need some more batteries," Electric replied. "Especially if we need to teach Techno how to shoot a laser blaster."

Pony looked at Grace. "You wanna show them how we do it?"

Grace nodded, dropping her shopping bag at Pony's feet. She dug around in her rainbow messenger bag, pulling out an old portable gaming system. A multi-colored ribbon of wires hung out from where the game cartridge would go, which she promptly stuck into the machine's ID scanner. She turned it on, and pushed a few buttons. The machine shook as a couple of AA batteries came out the dispenser below.

"What is that?" Techno asked, looking over Grace's shoulder.

"Vend-A-Hack," Grace replied, pushing more buttons. A couple bigger batteries came out. "It's Fun Ghoul and Kobra Kid's invention."

"Huh, interesting principle to use electronic signals to fool the machine," Techno mused. "Primitive, but effective."

"Well, I'll take effective any day." Electric pocketed the batteries as her eyes fell on a button with a blaster on it. "Could you get a Better Living blaster out of here, Grace?"

Grace nodded, pushing a few different buttons. Nothing happened.

"Can I try?" Techno asked. Grace handed over the Vend-A-Hack. Techno tried a different combination of buttons. But still nothing happened.

"Strange," Techno muttered as she tried again. But nothing came out of the machine.

"Come on you stupid machine! Work with us!" Electric yelled as she kicked the machine. The machine began to shake violently, before a gun popped out of the dispenser.

Then another.

Then another.

Before they knew it, at least a dozen guns sat at Electric's feet. She picked one up, before turning to look at Show Pony and Tommy Chow Mein, who both looked dumbfounded at the new arsenal the machine spat out.

"Will this count as payment?"

* * *

The Killjoys sat quietly in Dr. D's studio. No one had been able to speak a word since Show Pony had driven off in the Trans-Am. Dr. D's voice occasionally broke the silence, continuing his daily playlist that was blasting on his station with the occasional filler in between songs.

They tried to make themselves comfortable, which was a bit of a problem due to the lack of seating available. But that didn't stop Fun Ghoul and the Kobra Kid from perching themselves on a table. The rest were plenty comfortable leaning against whatever free wall space was available.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Jet Star broke the long silence, shaking his head. "She's going to want to rescue him."

"Which is suicide, if you ask me," Ghoul chimed in.

Party and Dr. D nodded in agreement.

"Look, whatever she wants to do, let her do it," Kobra roughly ran his hand through his hair. "We shouldn't be holding her back."

"And let her get caught by S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W? Not happening, Mikey."

"That's not what I meant!" Kobra stood up. He could feel the anxiety start to build again.

"Then what exactly did you mean?" Party's voice was becoming increasingly clipped.

"This isn't about you two princesses." Dr. D broke up the argument, physically placing himself between the two feuding brothers. "Now sit down and shut up." Kobra let out a huff before he sat back down on the shaky table.

"Sorry," Party mumbled, leaning back against the wall.

"I swear, sometimes you two have more drama than Show Pony," Dr. D wheeled back over to his desk. Ghoul tried to hide a snort of laughter, only to receive glares from Party and Kobra in response.

"I think we need to first ask who this Chemical Skeleton is," Jet returned to the topic at hand.

"Why does that name sound so familiar to me?" Party questioned. "I feel like I should know who this guy is."

Dr. D began to leaf through the stacks of papers underneath the mess on his desk. He rejoiced as he lifted up a large, coffee-stained poster.

"What's that?" Party looked over Dr. D's shoulder with the rest of the Killjoys.

"Would you not crowd around like that?" They backed up as he turned around. "This may be why Chemical Skeleton sounds so familiar."

He held out a crumpled Exterminate poster. But instead of the face of one of the Killjoys, someone different had a bold red X over their face and the word "Exterminate" over their eyes.

"This is Chemical Skeleton." Dr. D passed the poster over to Party. The remaining Killjoys looked over his shoulder as they studied the face. An oval face looked back, with defined cheekbones and a sarcastic smile on his lips. If it wasn't for the swept-back dirty blond hair on his head, they could swear it looked like…

"So this is Becca's brother," Ghoul mused. "Looks a lot like her, if Becca was a guy."

Party looked down at the small blurb that Better Living had put in the lower right hand corner. "'Wanted: Zone runner. Goes under the alias Chemical Skeleton.'" Party read aloud. "'Known to run with a female that goes by the name Electric Revenge. Considered armed and extremely dangerous. Exterminate on sight.'"

"Show Pony found that outside Zone 6 a few weeks back," Dr. D sat back in his chair. "Was paired with this poster." He passed over another Exterminate poster.

"So Becca has her own, too," Jet commented as Party grabbed the poster. The information below was mostly the same.

"The question is, why is Better Living after them?"Ghoul asked. "They don't typically play the 'shoot now, ask questions later' game with any regular runner."

"Gee, you know we're going to have to ask her," Kobra looked at his brother. Party looked up from the poster at his brother.

"Ask me what?"

Everyone jumped as they turned around. Electric stood in the doorway with Techno, looking expectantly at the group.

"Ask me what, guys?"


	20. Interlude

Chapter 20: Interlude

Chemical could barely twitch his hand as he was slammed to the ground once again. It had been a few hours since some guards dragged Laser Shot and Rocket Revolver out of the room, leaving Chemical alone to have to deal with Korse's vicious platoon of Draculoids. He had lost track how many times he had been thrown to the floor, having lost consciousness at least twice as his head slammed against the concrete. His skull might have been fractured for all he knew. There were plenty of bruises dotting around his hairline that looked suspiciously dangerous.

Not that the Dracs beating him cared.

The guards grabbed his arms once again, lifting his upper body off the ground for a few more punches and kicks to his torso. Chemical barely gave any resistance, letting them bruise and bloody him as his head hung close to his body.

"That's enough," Korse's voice halted the onslaught. Chemical felt his hair grabbed viciously, forcing him to make eye contact with his hated jailer.

"How much more of this can you take, 351624?" Korse sneered, bringing his face inches from Chemical's. "You aren't looking so good."

Chemical wished he could say something, but he wasn't sure his mouth would respond the way he wanted it to. He couldn't feel the right side of his face anymore, and his jaw ached something horrid. So he instead answered with a glare and silence. But he sure felt his head drop hard as Korse let go, letting a grunt of pain echo in his throat as he felt some of his hair ripped from his scalp.

Chemical heard the door of the room open. His stomach knotted up as he saw Laser and Rocket dragged in, both unconscious and beaten badly. Rocket had another black eye to match the one Chemical saw earlier, but that looked innocent among the swelling injuries on his face and the blood that had begun to completely stain his prison uniform. Laser looked maybe a little better, but that was relative. His wrist looked too swollen to be not injured, on top of the bruises discoloring his arms and face. Both of them were dropped to the floor in front of Korse.

Korse merely grinned as he took out his trusted blaster, methodically clicking off the safety before pointing it to the two bodies on the ground.

"I'm going to give you one more chance to answer my question, or one of them dies. Though I'm not sure which one should go first." The gun hovered before he aimed it at the unconscious forms on the ground.

"Should it be him?" He pointed his blaster at Laser.

"Or should it be him?" He panned over to Rocket.

Chemical went numb as the situation spiraled out of control.

A sick smile creeped onto his face as he looked at Chemical with pure satisfaction."You know, they can both live if you answer my question.

"What was Toxic Killer planning?"

The one question—that question—had been the reason Chemical had been dragged to interrogation almost daily. The reason why Korse was so fascinated with his past, and those he had been associated with. Chemical had always thought he had the upper hand, figuring his sister was still out there to move forward with the plan. The plan that his he promised his parents he would complete that fateful day in Old New Mexico. He didn't care if he died in prison, but obviously Korse had other plans and ensured that he stayed alive. In pain, but for the most part alive.

But to see his cellmates—no, his friends—now unable to defend themselves and thrown into this ridiculous cat-and-mouse game, he knew the fight was over.

"Fine, I'll tell."

Chemical was broken and defeated.

Korse had won.

Korse smiled as he walked over to the defeated form of Chemical. "I expect the truth now, Chemical."

* * *

Electric pulled up the threadbare blanket up over the sleeping form of Grace, curled up on her mattress on the floor. She had fallen asleep earlier, sitting in Electric's lap during the uncomfortably silent drive back to the diner. It was completely opposite of this morning, when they were more or less shouting along with Mad Gear and the Missile Kid on the car radio.

_Funny how life can take such a turn in twelve hours._

_ Of course, twelve hours ago, I didn't know that Blaze was locked away in prison._

Electric slunk down onto her mattress lying next to Grace's. Grace had been adamant that Electric get to sleep with her the night before, so Party had dragged Grace's mattress from Jet Star's room to the small one the Killjoys had set up for their guest near the kitchen. She marveled at the peace on Grace's face as she slept. She wished she could just curl up with her and sleep away the pain she was feeling.

_But they need to know. No matter how much it hurts me, they need to know the truth._

Giving Grace one last loving look and a small kiss on the forehead, she got up and exited the room as quietly as she could, turning off the electric lantern sitting on the crate near the door. She spied all four Killjoys gathered near the entrance of the diner, conversing silently with one another. Electric took a deep breath as she let the door click securely in place behind her. The noise ended their conversation as they looked over to her.

"So I guess I have some explaining to do," she mumbled, staring at her dirty boots.

She heard the telltale noise of boots clicking across the floor, before she felt her chin being lifted up. Party's face was stony and devoid of emotion, but a sliver of compassion still sat in his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

_He's trying to be strong. To be the fearless leader of the Killjoys._

"It's not that we don't trust you, Becca," Party started, "but we can only help if we know what're up against. S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W doesn't just decide to put out an 'Exterminate on sight' bulletin for every runner that crosses their path."

Electric nodded, looking at the other three four Killjoys. They all tried to have an impassive look on their faces too, but some minor hints of sympathy managed to show through.

_They're all trying to be strong. Because they're the fabulous Killjoys, right?_

"Then make some coffee. It's a long story."


	21. I Never Told You What I Do For a Living

Chapter 21: I Never Told You What I Do For a Living

"I usually don't like telling my life story like this. Like my brother always told me, we can't focus on the past, but look to the future." Electric looked down at the cracked mug in her hands, watching the powdered creamer she put in her coffee turn the liquid to a milky brown. She took a big gulp of the hot drink before continuing.

"But I guess to understand why Blaze and I are such high priorities for S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W's Exterminators, I have to start with my parents and what they did before the world ended."

Electric looked up at the group. She sat cross-legged on one of the tables, while the Killjoys sat in the booth surrounding, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"My parents were pretty normal before the war. My dad was into developing computer programs for some big company, as well as taking on projects outside of work. My mom was a writer, a freelance journalist that worked with a lot of newspapers and magazines in Los Angeles and southern California. Blaze and I pretty much grew up like normal kids then; had friends, went to school.

"Everything was good until the economy started to crash around 2008. Work became pretty hard for my mom to come by, and my dad lost a lot of the work he did independently. The main company he worked for started to flounder like every other business. But before they declared for bankruptcy, a growing pharmaceutical company bought them out."

"Better Living." Jet stated.

"So you dad worked for them?" Kobra asked, his voice becoming a bit clipped at the end.

"Mikey, relax," Party calmly warned from across the table. Becca saw Ghoul put his hand on Kobra's leg. Kobra relaxed his shoulders after a moment.

"Not by choice. Better Living retained everyone on any staff they took over, and no one else was hiring at the time. Plus, no one really knew what they were up to then.

"My dad was asked to work on what Better Living called a top-priority experiment They were working with something that was supposed to help mental health through computer technology. They called it 'experimental rehabilitation.' It was supposed to help stimulate the brain for those who may have had problems learning. Basically, it was a way to insert messages and images underneath contrasting video. I don't know the full details, but it border-lined subliminal messaging.

"It took a few years, but they finally got the program to work successfully."

"So what happened?" Ghoul chimed in.

"It wasn't long after the program went public that people began to speak out against the company. Saying what they were doing was ethically wrong and all that. But soon the people who spoke out began to disappear. My parents didn't think much of it then. Hell, no one did. Not when Better Living was pushing the economy back on track. It probably didn't help that most of the people who spoke out were extremists in their beliefs.

"My dad was at work one day, staying late to finish up something. I don't know how exactly he came across this, but he spied some of the higher-ups of Better Living observing the rehabilitation program being used on someone that he knew spoke out against BL/Ind."

She sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing. "What my dad saw was very gruesome, he told me. The 'subject', for lack of a better term, was strapped to a chair so he couldn't move. Then they would injected him with some sort of chemical cocktail Better Living scientists developed, directly into the brain. The 'rehabilitation' program would be played over and over again. The combination of the drugs and the program would eventually wear down the ability to comprehend anything.

"And then the real rehabilitation began."

Electric looked sick to her stomach as she placed her coffee cup next to her.

"Becca, are you going to be okay?" Party and Jet switched spots, so Party was sitting closer to Electric.

She looked down at Party, her face pale as she swayed back and forth, a bit faint. "I'll be fine. It's just hard talking about this."

"Take your time if you need to."

Electric nodded, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes. It took a few minutes for her to compose herself, but they waited patiently for her to continue.

"They were doing this to completely healthy people, except for the fact they were against Better Living. What better way to squish the naysayers then to make them think like you?

"Around the time he found out, the Fires began. I'm sure you remember when the first bombs went off in the States."

The Killjoys nodded. Everyone knew about the Fires of 2012.

The beginning of the apocalypse.

"Well, the bombings that started the war were initiated by Better Living Industries. They used some of the first 'subjects' they rehabilitated. That's how the bombers were able to take out all the airports in the country so easily. And at the same time without anyone being suspicious."

"How do you know this?" Kobra asked, not believing what she was saying.

"My dad did some digging after he accidentally saw those experiments. BL/Ind knew that the world was building to the point of World War III by 2012, and with the whole 'the world's going to end in 2012' bullshit floating around, it was the perfect fuel to the Fires they were going to start."

"So it is true?" Ghoul looked at Electric expectantly. "Better Living did cause the end of the world?"

"Why else do you think their slogan is 'The Aftermath is Secondary'?"

"You've got a point there," Jet agreed.

"Well, we all know what happened after the airport attacks, the beginning of the Fires. The rehabilitation work got a lot more worse from what my dad was seeing. Somehow the program began to physically scar those they were brainwashing.

"At this point the Fires were growing out of control with the amount of attacks happening daily around the world, so Better Living decided they needed some help with the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W security program they were building. To protect their assets."

"Draculoids?" Party asked.

Electric nodded. "They had the perfect soldiers. Ones that wouldn't question what you were ordering to do and follow every command. All they had to do was slap on a crappy vampire mask to hide the actual physical scarring from rehabilitation and no one would ever know they were brainwashed zombies.

"So all the Dracs we've fought are people like us who don't know better?" Kobra sounded like he was going to be sick.

"Not many are anymore. Once Better Living took over completely, there were plenty of people who would sign up to join, to protect the city from the likes of us. The whole mask thing just kind of became a symbol for them. Kind of funny that we don't know who's killing who anymore, hiding our identities from one another.

"Anyway, it was once the Exterminators hired by S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W that they found out about my dad's information gathering. But by this time, there was an underground movement being built up, mostly fed by what my dad collected while he was with Better Living. Mind you this was shortly after the governments fell around the world and Better Living took the initiative to rebuild the world in their image.

"They arrested my parents in the middle of the night. They were about to arrest my brother and me too, but my parents were able to get a message to some rebels, who managed to get us out of Los Angeles. Better Living scheduled them to be publicly Exterminated in their new capitol, Battery City, citing them as traitors.

"They were going to be the stunning example of Better Living's new power in the world. Be the first of the new enemy to be destroyed."

"They escaped, didn't they?" Party smugly asked.

Electric gave a smug smile back. "What do you think? There were some casualties that day when the rebels crashed the party, but they were able to rescue them. And that was the beginning of the Helium Wars.

"My parents threw away our identities, trying to make it hard for the Exterminators to find us. Toxic Killer and Rouge Angel were appointed leaders of the group of runners that saved their lives, since they were the ones to really mobilize the group. They called themselves the Renegades. Kind of like you guys being the Killjoys."

"Unbelievable." Party shook his head.

"What?"

He looked up, a half smile of amazement on his face. "Your parents were one of the reasons we ran to the desert. We all rebelled during the Fires, but they were the ones to convince us to actually fight back."

"And change our names," Ghoul added.

The others nodded in agreement.

Electric shook her head, giving a bit of a laugh. "They never thought they were going to be the prime example of what we could do to fight. We were just surviving the Wars."

"But they're gone now? Toxic Killer and Rouge Angel?" Jet inquired.

Electric nodded, looking down at her hands in her lap. "It's my fault they're dead. I shouldn't have run off like that." Tears started to fall, which she quickly wiped away.

Party placed a hand on Electric's knee, causing her to look at him. More tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Becca. I'm sure what happened wasn't your fault."

"You don't know," she cried. "But it doesn't matter. They're dead, before they could even tell me what they were planning to do."

"But Blaze knows?" Jet inquired.

Electric nodded. "And now Blaze is locked in some prison, probably scheduled to be Exterminated."

"Not for much longer," Party stated matter-of-factly. The other Killjoys looked at their leader as Party moved to sit next to Electric on the table. "We'll get him out."

"But what if he already told Korse about what Toxic Killer and Rouge Angel were planning?" Kobra couldn't help but ask. "He would be expecting us, and we would be walking into a trap."

"But we can try," Ghoul stated. "If not to stop Better Living, then to help Becca and her brother."

"So it's settled," Party declared. "We're breaking Blaze out of prison."

"I can't ask you guys to do that." Electric looked around at all four of them.

"You don't have to." Party threw an arm around Electric's shoulder, bringing her into a hug.

She snuggled closer to Party, a bubble of happiness building in her stomach.

"Thank you," she whispered as she laid her head against Party's chest.

It was the last thing she remembered before she fell asleep, embraced by the leader of the Fabulous Killjoys.


	22. Sleep

Chapter 22: Sleep

_The sterile white-grey hallways were making her sick to her stomach. There was no color to speak of in this place. Even her bright yellow shirt and matching blaster looked duller than usual in the monochrome room. She turned the corner, once again coming face-to-face with that creepy smiling face of Better Living. "Keep Smiling" sat in bold black letters next to it, an encouragement probably for the workers on this floor. But she was not in the mood to obey the sign._

_ "This place is a fucking maze," she muttered, looking at the burn mark at the bottom corner of the otherwise neat-looking sign._

Damn, I must have passed this already. Figures I would get lost in this place.

_ A flash of red and blue passed the corner of her vision, tearing her attention away from the smiling face in front of her. _

_ "Party?" she asked. She walked cautiously in the direction she saw the colors, 100 percent sure that she saw the Killjoy walking in this direction._

_ "Party, are you in here?" she asked again. Everything on this floor was silent as she walked past the plate glass reflecting the nighttime lights of Battery City below._

Something didn't feel right about this situation. Silence never meant anything good.

_ She turned around the corner, only to witness a horrible sight. Fun Ghoul, Jet Star and the Kobra Kid lay motionless on the ground, each with multiple burns on their chests that were still smoking. A Draculoid had Party Poison, its hand around his throat and a blaster aimed at his chest as he was pushed against the wall. _

_ "No!" she screamed as the blaster discharged. She saw the laser exit on the other side of Party's body before he slid to the floor. The burn was smoking as his head fell limply against his body, never to move again._

_ The Draculoid who had shot Party turned towards her and aimed. It barely had a chance to shoot as she unleashed a barrage of lasers from own weapon. She shot until her battery ran out of power, undeterred by the dead body of the Draculoid, now smoldering on the floor._

_ She walked over, keeping her blaster aimed at the for-sure dead Drac. She needed to know who killed her friends, her allies. But deep inside, she felt didn't want to know. But her sense of vengeance was outweighing her common sense. Crouching, she grabbed the white latex and black faux hair and ripped the mask off._

_ A combination of screaming and near-vomiting took over as she looked upon the familiar face. His rounded face looked so much like her's. Dirty blond hair stuck to his pale face. She was sure if she opened his eyes, they would flash a recognizable hazel. But there wouldn't be any life sparkling behind them anymore._

_ Her brother was dead, and it was her fault._

Electric's eyes shot open as she sat up, the blankets tangled around her tense body. Her chest heaved as she tried to stop hyperventilating. The nightmare's images began to fade away after a few minutes of regulated breathing and gentle rocking.

She looked down next to her, seeing that Grace hadn't awoken, much to her surprise and joy. She didn't want to have Grace worry about her.

_It should be the other way around._

She got up quietly, pulling on her discarded jeans and throwing one of her many tops over the tank she wore to bed. There was no way she was going to go back to bed so soon, not after that nightmare.

_No, not a nightmare. More like a night terror._

She grabbed the blankets on her bed and wrapped them around herself as she exited the room quietly, slipping on her boots as she left.

The main room of the diner was quiet. A full moon outside was shining through the windows; the painted words on the windows were now scribbled on the floor in shadow. Feeling claustrophobic, she crossed the formica quickly before exiting the diner.

A cool wind blew as Electric stepped outside, lowering the levels of noxious gasses further. Nighttime typically meant that the air was a bit easier to breathe, but the temperature dropped almost 60 degrees at night, making the air chilly. But she liked it cold; it was a break from all the heat.

Electric pulled the blanket around her shoulders tighter, blocking the cool wind. It was a little colder than she would've liked tonight, but she needed some fresh air to help her forget that terror. She shivered at the mere thought of it.

The click of a blaster's safety coming off broke her out of her thoughts. She looked over to the parked Trans-Am, where Kobra had his red blaster aimed at her direction, without even looking at her as he sat on the hood leaning against the windshield. The blanket fell off her shoulders as she unconsciously reached down to her right hip, only to find that she had forgotten to put her own holster on.

"Now I know how you felt the other day," she spoke aloud, picking up the blanket that had fallen from her shoulders.

Kobra looked over at where Electric was standing, shaking the blanket. It took a moment before he realized he was still aiming his blaster at her.

"What are you doing up?" he asked, holstering his weapon.

"I could ask you the same thing. You're not on patrol duty tonight." Electric walked over to the car, wrapping the blanket back over her shoulders. "Mind if I join you?"

Kobra shrugged as he looked up at the sky. _I'll take that as a yes._ She hopped up onto the hood, sitting next to him. They both sat in silence as they looked at the stars twinkling in the sky.

"Why don't you like me, Mikey?"

Kobra did a double take. "What?"

Electric looked over at him. "You know what I mean. You haven't liked me since we first met."

"Maybe because you were trying to steal the car. Which is Gee's pride and joy, by the way." He couldn't help but add the last comment.

"All right, you've got a point there."

They sat in silence again for a while, looking back up at the sky.

"You really look up to Gerard, don't you?"

Kobra shook his head. "You have no idea."

"I have an older brother, too. I think I know."

"He's my protector, Becca. Through all the shit that we've been through. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him."

He looked over at Becca, a bit of a smile on his face. "I try to come off as strong and tough. But I know I'm weak at times. That's when I really look up to him. He just has this passion to keep fighting, even when the whole world seems to be against him."

He shook his head. "I have no idea why I'm telling you this."

"Maybe it's because you're beginning to trust me?"

"Is there a reason that I shouldn't?"

Electric sighed, shaking her head. "Everyone that I care about ends up dead. First it was my parents, and then I thought Blaze was killed in the desert when we had to split up. I don't want anything to happen to you guys. Or Grace for that matter."

"I understand where you're coming from." He sighed before sitting up. "A good friend of mine was killed a few years ago, because of something I did that was stupid."

Electric looked over at Kobra. He sat cross-legged, looking off to the mesas in the distance. She was sure this was a side of Kobra rarely anyone saw.

"There were a lot more people in our group running with us. All were really good friends of ours from way before the Fires. We were dangerous when we first became the Killjoys, taking down Drac patrols in the desert, not caring about the consequences.

"One day, we were ambushed by a Drac patrol out in Zone 3. We ghosted almost every one of them, except for one Drac who was more than willing to talk. He told us that there were people who were posing as runners, but feeding information back to Better Living.

"It was a really horrible time, especially for me. I have a bit of a problem with anxiety. Always have, and probably always will. That's how we survived the ambush in Zone 3, because I knew something was wrong. You know what I mean?"

Electric nodded. "I have the same feelings, on occasion."

"But mine's always with me," Kobra sighed. "No matter how much I try to suppress it, it never wants to go away."

"So what happened?" Electric asked.

"My anxiety pointed to someone within our group ratting us out. So I came up with a brilliant idea with someone who wasn't Gee, Frank or Ray. A Killjoy named Agent Cherri Cola. I knew I could trust him. So we decided to lead our suspect out away from everyone else, to question him without anyone else getting hurt.

"It didn't go exactly as planned. My hunch had been correct, but our suspect had told Korse and his Dracs. I was injured during the shootout, causing me to black out. By the time Gee and everyone else found me, Cherri was gone and our so-called ally was dusted. Good riddance to him."

"So Cherri's dead?"

"More than likely. Korse obviously left me to die. I have a feeling Cherri ran off, distracting them so they couldn't deliver the killing shot. I probably owe my life to him."

Electric fiddled with the fringe on her blanket for a while, taking everything in.

"Mikey?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not stupid."

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take that as a compliment or not."

"You did what you thought was right. Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't confronted the guy? Obviously Cherri thought you were doing the right thing. He took the risk with you." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"I guess I underestimated you, Becca."

She punched him in the arm. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He smiled back at her. "I thought you were just showing off. But you really are a fighter. Don't let anyone else tell you different."

Electric wanted to say something just as nice back, but only found herself yawning.

"I guess I'm tired again."

"You know, I never asked you why you were awake."

She momentarily paused. "It was nothing. Just a stupid nightmare, that's all. But I think I can go back to sleep now."

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"I forgot what it was about, anyway. No point in talking if I can't remember what is was."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I am sure. Good night, Mikey."

"Night."

Electric slid off the hood of the car, wrapping the blanket back around her as she made her way back to the diner. She hated to lie but she didn't want him to worry. She didn't want any of them to worry. Not when there were more pressing issues at stake.


	23. Disenchanted

_A/N: Wow, I've got over 100 reviews! Thanks so much to everyone who's been leaving them. Like I keep saying, they really make my day!_

_By the way, the poll is still going in my profile. Do you guys want a sequel to _Renegade Killjoy_? There's still plenty to go in this story, but it's never to soon to think of a possible sequel!_

_Oh, and 31 days until I get to go see My Chemical Romance in concert! I've been looking forward to this for a while now. This last month is going to fly by! I hope to have this done by then, but we'll see what happens..._

_As always, stay fabulous, Killjoys!_

Chapter 23: Disenchanted

Chemical Skeleton couldn't believe what he had done. The one thing he swore on his parents' graves he wasn't going to do, he did. Everything that he had worked for was gone in a matter of a simple explanation.

The tears had run dry hours ago. He wasn't the one to typically cry, but there was nothing else for him to do. His usefulness had run out. Death was for sure days away now, at the hands of a sadistic Exterminator and the always-eager Draculoids that surrounded him.

A sharp intake of breath caused him to look up from his pulled-up knees as he leaned against the wall of the cell. He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn Rocket's hand had twitched…

A violent cough racked through Rocket Revolver, making his body convulse. He managed to get his eyes open and roll over on his side before blood began to trickle out of his mouth. He promptly spat out more as he began to sit up.

"Derik? You okay?"

Rocket looked over at Chemical, a dazed look in his eyes. "I thought we weren't using our real names," he managed to get out between wheezing breaths.

Chemical crawled over, helping Rocket lean against the wall. "No point now. There aren't any cameras in the cells in isolation."

Rocket looked over at Chemical, a bit more conscious now that he was sitting up. "You aren't telling me something Blaze."

Chemical looked over at Laser Shot, still unconscious on the floor. He shook his head as he avoided Rocket's piercing stare.

"I hope you guys can forgive me one day. S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W will probably rehabilitate the two of you. You'll make good Dracs."

"Blaze, what the fuck are you talking about?" Rocket tried to yell, but it just caused him to cough up more blood. "Damn, I think they made me break a rib."

"Can you two shut the hell up? I'm sleeping." Laser mumbled from the floor.

"Nick, wake the hell up then. You can sleep later." Rocket kicked at Laser.

Laser slowly got up, looking at Rocket and Chemical with confusion. "Since when do you order people around? And why are we using our real names?"

"Get with the conversation Nick." Rocket looked back over at Chemical. "So what exactly happened?"

Chemical looked at his two friends. Though they were bloodied and were probably not 100 percent there, he knew that they deserved the truth, no matter how hard it hurt. He took a big breath before he spoke.

"I told Korse about the thought adjustment screens. How Becca and I were going to input a message that would make the citizens of Battery City begin to doubt the propaganda."

To Chemical, it was like all the air went out of the room as the truth settled on Rocket and Laser. They looked at each other before looking back at Chemical.

"So that's it?" Rocket asked. "You're going to give up now just because Korse knows your big secret?"

Chemical look at Rocket in disbelief. "Did you not hear me? I have nothing left to hold over him as leverage. My usefulness to him is done. I'm as good as Exterminated now."

"Not while we have anything to say about it." Laser responded in a no-nonsense tone."Derik and I did not let ourselves get caught and have the shit beaten out of us to just give up now. You can't give them the satisfaction of letting them win. While we're still alive, and conscious of what we're doing, we'll rebel."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying, Nick?" Rocket had a hint of hope hanging on the question.

"We're getting out. Before they Exterminate us."

* * *

Sunshine filtered in from the tall windows overlooking the city below. It wasn't as harsh as the sunlight he normally faced when he decided to join the patrols out in the desert. No, this was more for atmosphere for the residents of Battery City than anything.

Korse turned away from the brightening sky to look back at the paperwork scattered over his desk. Documents, memos, and the occasional grainy still from a security camera sat in organized chaos on the work surface. The computer screen not too far off to his right had multiple windows of information pulled up, evidence of the hours of research he had done overnight.

For the more he knew about his enemy, the easier it would be to destroy them.

A knock at the door tore him away from his research.

"You asked to see me, sir?"

"James." Korse smiled as he looked up at the Draculoid at the door. "How are things?" The question was very casual, a side of Korse that barely anyone saw. But when you were the head of the Chief Exterminator's main squadron of Draculoids, you were privy to such things.

"Good, sir." The white-suited man replied, pulling off his vampire mask. Another privilege he received while he stood in Korse's presence. "Subject 171927 is progressing well through her rehabilitation. She should be operable within the next 24 hours."

"Impressive." Korse leaned back in his chair, smiling in satisfaction. "She's showing a lot of promise, much like you."

"Thank you, sir. The new upgrades have cut rehabilitation time back greatly, but she's the quickest I've seen rehabilitated in a while."

"Of course. Tell me James, has our latest subject given us a name?"

"Airi Isoda, sir. According to our files, she was a naturalized citizen of the United States before the Fires. She's been with the Killjoys for a while. Previous investigations have shown her to be a fluent communicator in both Japanese and English."

"I see. Make sure you tell the doctors that I would like Ms. Isoda to be moved to administration."

"May I ask why, sir?"

"I think Ms. Isoda will be a better fit there than as a Draculoid. Don't you agree, James?"

"Of course, sir. Do you need me to specify where in administration?"

Korse waved his hand. "If they must know, she'll be under my jurisdiction."

"Yes sir."

"Any other news that I need to know about?" Korse looked down at the top-most file on his desk. His mind wandered to the three zone runners locked in isolation that needed to be taken care of. He just didn't know how.

"You placed an inquiry asking about a target codenamed 'Electric Revenge,' sir?"

Korse looked up from his files.

"A report came in from the patrols around Battery City during yesterday morning's 'incident.' Those who were involved stated that they had seen the target with the Killjoys. Unfortunately, they escaped once again. The proper disciplinary measures have been taken care of for those involved."

"Good. One less thing I have to worry about." Korse held a hand out to the chair in front of his desk in a silent offer. "Have we figured out where they might've run to?"

"No one knows specifically where the Killjoy hideout is. But there are numerous reports from Patrol D about activity in Zone 4. While we don't have confirmation, the reports say that the Killjoys seem to have their hideout located somewhere in that general area."

"So we've narrowed the search for them there?"

"Yes sir. Would you care for a personal opinion, sir?"

Korse smiled. Normally, the question would be answered by a laser to the brain, but he respected this particular Draculoid. Hence the first name basis.

"Go ahead."

"Electric Revenge may pose a problem if she's with the Killjoys. There's a high likelihood that the illegal message broadcasted by Ms. Isoda was for her. With the Killjoys most likely able to decipher the message, and with them harboring such a dangerous individual, we might need to prepare for an attack."

Korse got up from the desk as the Drac explained his opinion, looking back outside at the lightening skyline of Battery City. The Draculoid followed, standing next to him.

"We might be able to play this to our hand, James," Korse smiled, watching the early-rising inhabitants of the city begin their daily commute to work on the sidewalks below. "Have you heard of the expression, 'killing two birds with one stone'?"

"Yes sir."

"Well, we have two birds that need to be killed. All we need is a good enough stone to throw at them."


	24. Summertime

Chapter 24: Summertime

The laser flew wide right of the target into the desert sky, nearly taking off the Kobra Kid's head. It took a spectacular tuck and roll, accompanied with a string of curses, to avoid being hit as he sat on the sidelines of the shooting gallery set up behind the diner.

"Well, that was better than the last shot you fired," Electric Revenge commented, ignoring the mumbled grumbling coming from Kobra. "You were closer to the targets at least."

"This is hard," Techno lamented, staring at the white blaster in her hand.

Techno Beat had come over with Dr. D and Show Pony and a multitude of radio equipment a few hours ago. Party Poison talked to Dr. D earlier in the morning, relaying what Electric revealed during her talk last night. What had come up highly convinced Party, and Dr. D for that matter, to set up a satellite station at the diner to avoid having to shuttle back and forth between the Zones. The more times that happened, the more suspicious patrolling Draculoids would become. Considering that Dracs were looking for her still, the less they traveled the better.

So as Party and Dr. D set up the remote station, everyone else decided to go watch Electric teach Techno how to shoot a blaster. Unfortunately, most of the morning had been spent missing stray shots as Techno missed her targets.

"You'll get the hang of it," Jet Star replied from the shade of the diner with a smile. Kobra plopped himself next to Jet and Show Pony, brushing the sand off of his dark-colored jeans.

"Yeah, in a year at this rate." Ghoul had another mischievous grin on his face as a cigarette hung from his mouth. Well, until Grace elbowed him in the stomach.

"So what? It took you two years, didn't it, Fun Ghoul?" Grace smiled before running behind Jet. She loved to egg him on, so she knew what was coming.

"Why you little…"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh as Ghoul chased Grace around the colorful mannequins they used for target practice. She weaved in and out of the dummies for a while until Ghoul caught and lifted her upside down.

"Put me down Fun Ghoul!" she managed to get out between laughs.

"Not until you apologize, runt."

"Not until you stop calling me runt!"

"This could go on all morning," Kobra shook his head.

"I seriously can't leave you two alone for five minutes, can I?" Party stepped outside, Dr. D following closely behind in his wheelchair.

"He started it!" Grace innocently whined as Ghoul set her down, pointing at him at the same time.

"Nuh-uh, you started it," he rebuttled, sticking his tongue out at her.

Party shook his head. "It's like dealing with two 10 year-olds with you two, isn't it?"

Techno giggled.

"So we're up and running?" Pony asked, sliding the visor up on his helmet.

Dr. D nodded. "Time to let the motor babies get us in the know."

"Thanks a lot, Dr. D," Electric replied, giving the man a hug. "For doing this."

"Anything to help out the daughter of Toxic Killer and Rouge Angel," he smiled. "Techno, why don't you keep practicin'? I'll let you know if I need you."

"Are you sure, Dr. Death Defying?" she asked.

"Stop being so formal. You can call me Dr. D, ya know."

"Of course, Dr. Death…I mean, Dr. D."

Dr. D shook his head as he turned to wheel back into the diner. "We'll have to work on that." Pony chuckled as he followed him back in.

"So what seems to be the problem with shooting?" Party asked. "Kobra wasn't quite subtle about that last shot nearly taking his head off."

"You try avoiding a laser from 10 feet out."

"It's harder than it looks," Techno shyly admitted. "Not that Pika-chan isn't doing a good job teaching me."

Stifled giggles sounded off in the shade behind Electric. She turned and shot daggers at Jet, Ghoul and Grace as they snickered at her newest nickname.

"What?" Ghoul raised his eyebrows at Electric.

"I have to agree with Party. You are a 10-year-old."

"Electric." She turned back to look at Party as he removed the battery from his blaster. "Could you go get some more batteries? I'm out of power."

"Sure." She jokingly stuck her tongue out as she passed by Ghoul, who rolled his eyes, causing her to chuckle.

She could feel the temperature drop as she entered the cool kitchen, avoiding lines of wires strewn across the floor from the main room through the kitchen. Eventually she made it back to where her old messenger bag sat lonely at the bar. She could see Dr. D and Pony out by the van, grabbing boxes of what she assumed were part of Dr. D's collection of vinyl records.

"Damn it," she cursed as she accidentally dropped her bag to the floor, spilling its contents. Luckily there wasn't much in there. A couple of different MP3 players slid across the floor, along with the batteries that she was sent to get. Her black glove fell out as well, the silver plates connected by multiple wires shining in the mid-morning sunlight.

"Now why couldn't I find you yesterday?" she muttered, crouching to pick it up. As she bent down, her eye caught on a blue and white-colored glove, much like the one she was reaching for. She picked it up, a tinge of regret building back in her stomach.

The blue and white glove looked impeccably clean and unused, despite the multiple modifications her father and she had done with it. A pad full of buttons sat near the wrist, crudely created from an old calculator they had found. She remembered the hours she spent with her father, testing out different power levels on this particular model.

As she slid the glove on her hand, something obstructed her from completely getting it on. Her fingers closed around a cylindrical object. She pulled it out, thinking it was another battery that had hidden itself in the fingers. After all, she hadn't known that this glove had been in her bag for the last few months. She assumed that it had been lost as she and her brother ran from Old New Mexico.

But instead of a Better Living brand battery, entwined in her fingers was a smooth, black USB drive. It was unscratched, rare when everything you tended to find in the desert was second- or third-hand. A thin cord was wrapped around it, which she promptly unwrapped. The USB drive hung innocently as she held it up to eye level. It took only a moment before her eyes widened in realization.

"Gerard!" In the moment, she didn't care if she called out their real names. "Frank! Ray! Mikey!"

All four of them, followed closely by Grace and Techno, burst into the room from the kitchen. Dr. D and Pony had also heard her shouting, rushing in through the front door.

"Becca, what's wrong?"

She turned towards the Killjoys.

"It's coming back to me!"

"What is?"

She held out the hanging USB drive.

"How my dad was going to take down Better Living."


	25. The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You

Chapter 25: The Jetset Life Is Gonna Kill You

"Are you sure that this crazy plan of yours is going to work?"

Rocket punched Laser in the arm. "You and your stupid questions, Nick. It's the only chance we'll have outside of these cells. Once they lock you in here, they don't let you out until they say so."

"And for us, they'll probably let us out so they can march us off right to Extermination," Chemical finished. "This is our only chance."

"I guess it's the only plausible way to get out," Laser replied. "I hate it as much as the rest of you, but…"

The sound of the door unlocking stopped Laser from finishing his sentence. All three slowly rose as the Chief Exterminator entered the cell, numerous Draculoids at his side.

"Good morning," Korse spoke. "I trust you slept well."

"If you call being unconscious sleeping well," Laser muttered under his breath. The Draculoid near him overheard and began to pull its blaster out.

"452805, let's not be testy this morning, shall we?" Korse replied calmly. The Drac sighed as he holstered his weapon. Chemical, Laser and Rocket looked at each other warily.

"What do you want? I told you everything I know," Chemical said in a clipped tone.

"Now, Chemical Skeleton, let's not be uncivil about this." Korse had on another of those not-so-sincere-looking smiles. "Since you complied, I'm giving you a choice. I believe you would make a great member of my team of Draculoids, with the proper training and adjustment. And because I'm in such a good mood this morning, the offer extends to your friends."

"I'd rather go to hell than be in purgatory," Chemical spat.

Without warning, Chemical rushed at the unsuspecting Chief Exterminator, punching him and sending him to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Laser and Rocket also rushed at the off-guard guards, each grabbing a blaster off of a surprised Drac and dusting the original owner. Chemical was also able to grab Korse's prized blaster, shooting at their enemies before all three rushed out of the cell.

"Come on!" Chemical shouted, running down the hallway. Rocket and Laser closely followed, keeping up the best they could with their injuries. They could hear Korse behind them screaming at his Draculoids to get them..

It was only a matter of seconds before alarms began to sound off, filling the halls with their blaring noise.

"To the elevators!" Rocket shouted over the alarms. They rounded a corner, coming across a small group of S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards, blasters raised and blocking their path to freedom. Rocket and Chemical began took up position behind some jutting walls, methodically taking down the guards one by one.

"Guys, we're going to be trapped here," Laser shouted out, shooting at the guards coming up behind them.

"He's right," Rocket replied. "What do we do, Chemical?"

Chemical looked down the hallway, avoiding shots from the approaching guards.

"We're going to have to make a run for it. You ready?"

Laser and Rocket both nodded.

"On the count of three."

"Three!"

They ran from their cover, shooting wildly at the oncoming guards. The guards, stunned by this sudden rush at them, stopped and parted to the sides of the hallway, giving them a clear path to the elevator. Chemical could feel lasers graze past his body as they ran, but none at least hit any vulnerable areas. Laser punched the button calling the elevator to their floor as the others covered him. A satisfying _ding_ was heard as the elevator doors opened. They ran in, continuing to shoot at the guards, now outo f their daze and running back down the hall towards them. Rocket slammed his hand on the ground floor and door close buttons. The doors shut just as the guards made it back to the elevator doors.

"That was close," Laser sighed, checking the power in his blaster.

"We're not out of the woods, yet," Rocket replied, doing the same.

The elevator car shook as it stopped, sending all three of them to the floor.

"What the hell?"

"Fuck, I forgot about the emergency brakes!" Rocket shouted. "We're trapped!"

They heard the scraping of metal on metal as the elevator doors were forced open. Dozens of white blasters were aimed at their faces as Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards rushed in, pinning the three of them down to the ground. The guns were wrestled away and handcuffs were slapped uncomfortably tight on their wrists before they were forced back up.

"I forget that zone rats like you tend to not be so civil-minded," Korse replied, standing outside the elevator doors.

"And you forget that we'll never become one of your mindless drones." Chemical smiled as he noticed Korse's right eye becoming purple, evidence of his earlier attack.

Korse grabbed the front of Chemical's shirt, pulling him so that they were literally inches away from one another. "I've tried to be reasonable with you, but you've left me with no choice. You've scheduled yourself to be publicly Exterminated tomorrow at noon.

"It's time that you runners learn a thing or two about authority."

* * *

"I can't believe I forgot about this." Electric paced the floor back and forth in front of the bar. The group had settled themselves as comfortably as they could among the radio equipment set up in a few of the booths.

"I don't blame you, Becca," Jet replied from his position sitting next to Dr. D at the table. "You've been through a traumatizing time."

"But still." She kept pacing until she felt Party stop her by grabbing her arms firmly. She looked up at his concerned hazel eyes.

"It's all right. We're going to figure out what to do."

She smiled at the sincere look on Party's face. "You're too good to me, Gee."

"You deserve it." He looked up at the other Killjoys assembled in the room. "Is there any way we're going to be able to look at what's on that drive?"

Techno shook her head. "Fun Ghoul told me that you don't have any kind of computer equipment here. If I only had a laptop, or a mobile computer of some sort, I could probably take a look at it."

"You know about computers?" Electric asked.

Techno nodded. "I was the top of my class in computer programming. And I did some minor hacking for the runners in Battery City." She turned to Dr. D. "Is that old computer by you connected to the Inner-Internet at all?"

"Last time I checked it did. Show Pony?" Dr. D looked over at his co-worker sitting off in another booth.

"Don't look at me. I've never gotten a virus on the old thing." Pony defensively held his hands up. "Amazing since that thing is a relic."

"I just need it to send a message out on the secure message boards that I've seen zone runners frequent," Techno explained. "There's no way that relic, as Show Pony puts it, will be able to decipher what's on there. I'm sure there has to be someone who has a computer strong enough that is willing to help."

"Sounds like a good starting point," Party replied. "Do you think Pony and you can handle it?"

They nodded. "And while I'm waiting," Techno added, "I can get in contact with some of the runners in Battery City and get some information about the prison. To help Pika-chan."

Party smiled. "Even better."

"We should get going then, Techno." Pony began to roll over to the door. "We'll send out a transmission on our way back here. Coded, of course."

"Make some noise, you two," Dr. D called out as they left the diner. "Should i get a message out to the other motor babies?"

"Please," Party replied. "The more information we have, the better off we'll be."

Dr. D turned up his radio equipment, grabbing his mike to start his broadcast.

"So what are we going to do?" Ghoul asked. "I can't just sit and wait. This is just too exciting."

"If we're planning on going in guns blazing into Battery City, we're going to need something more than just our blasters," Kobra spoke up.

"I have to agree," Jet nodded affirmatively. "What about that weapon depot that's out in Zone 1? They could supply us with what we need."

"Why don't you three head out there and see what you find?" Party dug the keys for the Trans-Am out of his pocket, throwing them at his brother.

"What are you going to do?" Ghoul asked.

"Electric and I will stay here with Grace and Dr. D. Just in case something comes up." Party smiled over at Electric, who had moved to sit on top of the bar, letting her legs swing freely.

"Don't do anything that I wouldn't do," Ghoul winked as he walked out of the diner, grabbing his sunglasses and bandanna from the top of the bar. Jet just shook his head as he followed him out. Kobra hung back a little bit.

"Is everything okay, Mikey?"

Kobra looked down before looking straight at his brother. "I'm getting a very strong feeling that something bad is about to happen."

Party nodded. He knew from experience that any kind of bad feeling usually came true when it came from his brother. "Is it because of Becca?"

Kobra shrugged. "I don't know. I just have a general feeling something bad is gonna happen."

"How bad?"

"Cherri Cola bad."

Party sighed, looking over at Electric out of the corner of his eye. She was talking with Grace, who had moved to sit on the bar next to her.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I know you trust her. But just remember where your loyalties truly lie, okay?"

Party looked at his brother, a glint of authority flashing in his eyes. "And you remember why exactly why we fight."

"I just don't want you to make a mistake like I did." Kobra growled as he left.


	26. The Only Hope for Me Is You

Chapter 26: The Only Hope for Me Is You

Korse smiled to himself as he returned to his office. He couldn't believe how easily everything had fallen into place. He couldn't have expected Chemical Skeleton to be so predictable, to play into his hands perfectly.

No, he took that back. Three weeks of solid interrogation had taught him a few things about this newest enemy. He could've easily predicted that Chemical and the friends he had made would try such a foolish attempt to escape. For some reason, the people that had gotten to know Chemical Skeleton, including those cellmates of his, would obviously lay down their lives for him, he had observed. There was no easy explanation for that. But the physical attack and countless guards that had been ghosted during their failed escape attempt had provided him with just enough evidence to warrant two accelerated Rehabilitations and a public Extermination to take place.

_Now if he could only have the same luck with the Killjoys…_

"Sir, we have a communication coming in from Patrol C in Zone 3," Korse's number one interrupted his thoughts. Korse looked up from his desk at the Draculoid standing in front of him, white latex mask askew from being thrown on too quickly when he ran down the hall.

"What is it, James?" Korse asked, slightly annoyed.

"The patrol has sighted the Killjoy's main mode of transportation moving westbound on Route Guano approximately 30 minutes ago at a very high speed. Security drones confirm these reports."

"How many on board?"

"Reports say three, sir. Target codenamed 'Party Poison' is reportedly not with them."

"Do we know a destination?"

"No sir. But we are monitoring the security drones for any changes in their travel pattern."

Korse stood from his desk, sighing. "I think that's a risk we cannot afford right now, James. Don't you agree?"

"Of course, sir. What do you propose we do?"

"Send Patrol A eastbound down Guano. They'll eventually meet up with those three..."

Another Draculoid ran into the office during Korse's explanation. He tried to keep an emotionless look on his face as the Draculoid quickly whispered something into his first-in-command's ear, but Korse was becoming increasingly disturbed the longer he spoke.

"Sir, a new development," the first-in-command spoke after a minute.

"Care to explain, James?"

"Unit number 678302 has just explained to me that we have apprehended a zone runner in Zone 3, sir."

"And why does 678302 think that this news is so important to interrupt us?" Korse hissed. 678302 shook in nervousness.

"This zone runner was about to make contact with target codenamed 'Dr. Death Defying' via pirate radio communication," the number one Drac replied.

"Was he now?" Korse looked intrigued, looking at the nervous Draculoid.

"Yes, s-s-sir." 678302 nervously stuttered under the pressure. "R-r-reports from the a-a-area…" He took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself.

"I'm growing impatient," Korse warned with a low voice.

The Draculoid swallowed audibly before letting the words rush out. "The zone runner we caught overheard a pirate transmission that we missed this morning. It was asking for someone with knowledge of Battery City Prison to contact them immediately. Sir!"

"Do we know why we missed this communication, 678302?"

"No sir. We suspect the Killjoys are beginning to broadcast on different signals. Security hasn't been able to pinpoint what specific frequency they've been using lately." The Drac shook even more under Korse's interrogation.

"And do we know why they were looking for a 'so-called' expert?"

"No sir. We were able to catch the zone runner before he was able to broadcast back to the Killjoys."

"Interesting," Korse muttered, letting the information roll around in his head for a little bit. "Where is this zone runner currently?"

"In an abandoned motel on the northern edge of the Zone, sir."

"Radio ahead to the team currently keeping him in custody. I want the place secure before my arrival."

"Yes sir." Korse chuckled under his breath as the lower-ranking Drac ran out of the office as quick as his feet could carry him.

"Is there anything you need me to do, sir?"

Korse looked over at his number one, a smile on his face. "How is Ms. Isoda coming along in rehabilitation?"

"She is progressing faster than we have predicted, and should be operable before the day is done, sir."

"Good. Considering these latest developments, her previous knowledge of Killjoy communications should become quite beneficial in monitoring security under my control."

"Shall I have her interrogated immediately, sir?"

"No. I don't need any interruptions, considering how far along she is. Do you need to stay here and keep monitoring her?"

"I don't believe so, sir. She's far enough along that some of my men should be able to handle any complications."

"Good. Then I suggest you prepare to leave in 30 minutes."

"May I ask why you need me, sir?"

Korse placed a hand on the shoulder of the Draculoid. "I need my most trusted operatives out there. I'm not about to let this golden opportunity go to waste."

* * *

Chemical stared at the door of his cell, the white walls burning his retinas. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the guards threw him back in here, alone. Laser and Rocket were each getting cells of their own now. He knew they were waiting in sheer agony at when they were going to be moved to be rehabilitated.

Of course, his situation wasn't much better. It was just as agonizing to be sitting in the deafening silence, letting the minutes tick slowly to his death. He knew that he was destined to be Exterminated. After all, his face had been plastered over the Zones and even into the badlands, foreshadowing this inevitable day. He knew his life was over when those Dracs grabbed him from the desert floor as he watched his sister run off into the distance.

Still alive.

Still free.

"Becca," he whispered into his curled up knees, tears beginning to form at the corners of his hazel eyes, "I hope that you're planning on breaking in here soon. Because the only hope for me is you alone."


	27. Desert Song

Chapter 27: Desert Song

"So now we just sit here and wait?" Show Pony asked, leaning against the desk. He wasn't in the mood to move anything off the mess that was Dr. D's desk.

"I know it's not exactly instantaneous, but hopefully someone will respond to my message soon enough." Techno spun around in the old office chair that Pony dug out of a closet somewhere inside the shack. "But I know there's got to be someone who's online that'll get back to me quickly."

They sat in reserved silence in the shack Dr. D called his home for a while. Pony read a couple of the backs of the record sleeves that were laying close by, while Techno began to listen to one of the MP3 players that was in her pocket, continuing her search on the Inner-Internet.

"So, what kind of music do you listen to, Techno?" Pony looked up from an old Ramones album. The girl curled up in the chair that was almost twice as big as her looked at him in confusion. She slid her newly-purchased headphones off her ears.

"What did you ask me?"

"Just wondering what kind of music you like. You were really interested last night when we were packing up records."

Techno blushed. "I like all kinds of music. I've mostly been listening to what they called 'alternative' back before the Fires, maybe all the way back to the last century. But I listen to everything and anything I can get my hands on."

"What's your favorite?"

She looked down at the MP3 player in her hand, scrolling through the playlist she was on. "I can't pick just one band, but I really like listening to Green Day, Weezer, and I really like listening to My Chemical Romance. They're pretty cool."

"You sound like you know your stuff about good music," Pony couldn't help but smile as Techno's face brightened as she talked about her favorite music.

"What about you? What do you like?" Techno asked with wide eyes.

Pony opened his mouth to answer, only to get interrupted by the sound of static coming from the radio behind him.

"What the…" he turned around, turning up the volume on the radio. It was one of the many radios Dr. D set up to monitor any transmissions between the numerous Draculoids patrolling out in the desert. Though it had taken some creative thinking and a couple of minor electrocutions, they had a good system here to listen to where the patrols were heading.

"What is it, Show Pony?" Techno stood, looking between the radio and Pony.

He shushed her, turning up the volume further.

"…be advised, subjects codenamed Fun Ghoul , Jet Star and Kobra Kid have been spotted in Sector D of Zone 2. Subjects are considered armed and extremely dangerous. Proceed with caution. Exterminate on sight."

"Copy that. Patrols 2-A and 2-C are en route to location. ETA 10 minutes."

Pony turned the volume down slightly before looking up at Techno. She continued to stare at the radio.

"Show Pony," she whispered, "they're in trouble, aren't they?"

"Techno, go grab the radio in the van. Now!"

Techno quickly ran out of the room, letting the saloon-style doors swing wildly behind her. Pony continued to listen to the conversation taking place in the brief minute it took for Techno to grab the radio.

"Here," she panted. Pony nodded as he took the radio in his hands.

"Dr. D? Dr. D, come in."

Silence.

"Dr. D? Dr. Death Defying? Can you read me?" His face fell as static came out of the radio.

"What is it, Show Pony?"

He looked down at the radio before looking back at Techno.

"I think signal's being jammed."

* * *

The slight breeze blew the Kobra Kid's hair around as leaned against the hood of the parked Trans-Am, an ever-present magazine in his hands. They had stopped at an old gas station somewhere close to the border between Zones 1 and 2. The three of them unanimously decided to stop for fuel before they decided to load up on weapons. For the quicker they got back to the diner, the better they all would feel safe with the rise in patrols.

But no matter how hard Kobra tried, there was no denying that feeling that just wouldn't go away in his stomach.

"Are you okay, Mikey?" Ghoul's voice broke into Kobra's thoughts. Kobra turned and saw a frown underneath he aviators on Ghoul's face as he walked towards Kobra.

"I'm fine," Kobra tried to return his attention to the magazine in his hands, but he couldn't help but see the look of concern on Ghoul's face out of the corner of his eye.

"Please tell me this isn't about Becca again."

"Why does everyone think that?" Kobra lamented.

Ghoul deadpanned. "You really want me to answer that?"

Kobra sighed.

"Can I say something?" Jet spoke up as he let the car fill up with gasoline.

"It's a free desert, dude." Ghoul smiled.

Jet rolled his eyes. "I understand your distrust, Mikey. I wasn't so sure about her either when we first met. But I understand also where she's coming from. It can't be easy being her age and having to go through what she did."

"Can we stop talking about her?" Kobra 's voice was clipped, his nerves fraying. "The whole world doesn't revolve around her, you know."

He threw the magazine back in the front seat of the car before walking towards the ramshackle convenience store, grabbing a new magazine out of the wire rack in front.

The shop was a bit stuffy as he walked in, for there wasn't a breeze like outside. He slid off his aviators as he looked around the store. Shelves that once held candy bars and other junk food sat crumbling in the middle of the store. The service counter had no one standing behind it, adding to the abandoned feeling.

Sighing, Kobra sat on the counter, looking at the latest issue of _Exterminator_ in his hands. The front cover boasted a picture of their most-hated enemy, done in the style of the Exterminate posters around the Zones. He had been looking forward to this issue for a while; ever since a rumor came out that there was an exclusive article about Korse. One that a few people would die to get.

He was so lost in his world that he didn't hear the back door of the store open up, the android-ish attendant walking back in. His poisonous-looking skeleton mask looked out of place with the blue jumpsuit. He approached slowly towards the unsuspecting Killjoy at the counter, arms out and ready to grab his target.

"Kobra! Get down!" Kobra looked up quickly from his magazine, seeing both Jet Star and Fun Ghoul cock their guns before aiming them at him. Caught by surprise, he dropped the magazine before covering his ears with his hands as they unleashed a barrage of lasers to the target behind him. The android shook as the lasers fried his circuitry, before falling forward.

Kobra turned around, looking at the smoking body of the android now laying over the countertop. His heart was beating so fast, adrenaline coursing through his veins now.

"Holy…" he breathed, trying to catch his breath. Ghoul placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort as Jet pulled off the mask of the android.

"Glad we got in here in time," Ghoul sighed, watching Jet peel the fake latex off the back of the android's head.

"Me too," Kobra managed to get out. "That thing always creeped me out. I should've known it was evil."

"I think you're right." Jet pulled out a small white microchip from the computer circuitry that was the android's head. He held it up for Kobra and Ghoul to see, showing off the black BL/Ind logo.

"Damn," Ghoul took the microchip, studying it for himself. "This is a high-level chip. Something that Better Living wouldn't just use on any android."

"You think they're upping their security?" Jet asked.

Ghoul sighed. "There's no denying that now."

"Then we should get going. If that thing sent out a signal to S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W, there's no telling when they'll get here." Kobra started to move towards the door.

"Too late," Jet pointed out the window, where two black cars emblazoned with the BL/Ind logo had parked around the painted Trans.


	28. Cemetery Drive

Chapter 28: Cemetery Drive

Electric sighed as she looked out the front windows of the diner yet again. She knew that the other Killjoys wouldn't be back for a while, considering they were heading so close to the suburbs of Battery City, in the wild area between civilization and chaos. She could hear Dr. D's melodic voice that he used on the radio talking off in the distance, asking what had to be the tenth or eleventh time if anyone knew anything about the prison in Battery City. Unfortunately, what they had heard back from the zone runners that contacted Dr. D was bare minimum for a mediocre plan at best.

"I win again!" Grace cheered, picking up the pile of cards she just slapped to win. Electric looked down at her hands, where her pile was down to one card. The two of them had been playing slap jack for a few hours now, with Grace winning most of the time; Electric just didn't have any heart in the game.

"You're good, Grace," Electric replied, giving Grace her last card.

"You're sad, Electric Revenge." Grace's innocent voice caused her to look straight at the little girl, the first time in hours. She didn't want Grace to see her so nervous and worried. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, honey. Nothing's wrong." Electric forced a sincere smile on her face.

"Is it about your brother?"

Electric's face fell back into sadness. Her fingers began to nervously pick away at the loose threads off of one of her undershirts.

"The Killjoys will get him back. I know it."

The squeak of the door interrupted their conversation. Party walked out of his room, his blue leather jacket unzipped and his red hair disheveled, with splotches of something yellow on his face. He had gone in there after Kobra stormed out of the diner. Both were looking positively peeved. Grace had wanted to go ask him what was wrong, but Electric convinced her that he would be okay after a little bit of time to himself.

But she knew deep in her gut that this little argument was once again about her.

_So much for second chances…_

"Party, are you okay?" Electric slid off the bar towards Party, ignoring the thought.

"What? Oh…" He looked down at the messy state he was in. "Sorry, must've gotten carried away."

"With what?"

"What did you make this time, Party Poison?" Grace smiled from the bar.

"Back up." Electric looked at Grace, then Party. "I'm confused."

Party pulled out a poorly newspaper-wrapped package from behind his back, giving it to Electric.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

Electric ripped at the old newspaper until it revealed a bright yellow mask, much like the one Party Poison wore when they were in the public eye the other day. Instead of black diamonds over the eyes, a bold black lightning bolt was overlaid on the right eye, with clear rhinestones accenting the points.

"Gerard, I…" Electric was stunned for words.

"Party Poison's such a great artist, isn't he?" Grace spoke up next to Electric.

Party shook his head. "She always says that."

"Thank you Gee," Electric couldn't stop staring at the mask in her hands. "But I don't deserve this."

"Of course you do," Party gripped her upper arms, causing her to look up. He was beaming at her through the splattered paint on his face. "You're a Killjoy, through and through. No one can tell you differently.

"Now, why don't you put it on? I'd like to see how it looks on you."

She slid the mask on over her eyes, moving the longer strands of her hair to sit over the mask. It felt comfortable on her face, hiding her identity.

"That's so cool!" Grace bounced on the balls of her feet looking up at Electric.

"Glad you think so," Party chuckled.

"Now if you three are done over there, I got messages to sort that are comin' in over the airwaves," Dr. D shook his head at the three excited by the bar.

"Sorry Dr. D." Electric sheepishly smiled as she pulled the mask down so it hung off her neck with her lightning bolt necklace.

"Don't be. Of course, the budding artist here could've been helping me monitor any messages coming in from our friends out there instead of doing arts and crafts."

Party rolled his eyes as he pulled up a chair next to Dr. D's radio equipment. Electric and Grace followed, standing behind them and looking over their shoulders.

"So, have we heard anything yet?" Electric asked.

Dr. D sighed and shook his head. "A couple rumors, a few passin' words, but nothin' that's gonna get us where we need to go."

Electric threw herself into the empty booth next to Party. "I can't take this anymore. What if no one knows anything about the prison? What if I'm too late and Blaze is dead? What if…"

"You can't dwell on the what ifs," Party looked down at Electric over the top of the booth. "If we did, we wouldn't have survived this long."

"I'm just so scared that we won't find what we need." She could feel the tears coming to her eyes again. _God damn this weakness of mine…_

"You two better motor over here. We got something good." Dr. D smiled as he turned up the radio. "Caller, you there? You're on the air with me, Dr. D."

"Dr. D?" A timid voice came through the speakers.

"Go ahead."

"It's me, uh, Toxic Torrent. Up in Zone 3?"

Party grabbed the mike. "Weren't you out at the Mad Gear benefit show just a few weeks ago? With that girl, Acid Bullet?"

"Party Poison, is that you?"

"Live and talking. But we can reminisce later. You've got something for us?"

"Uh, yeah. I had a good friend of mine break out of Battery City's prison a few years back. He told me about it countless times. I, um, think what he told me might be able to help you guys out."

"Can you tell us now?"

"I don't want to risk telling over this channel, though I know Dr. D usually has some pretty secure lines. You never know with Dracs and Exterminators roaming around and getting smarter."

"Where are you at?"

"Uh, that abandoned motel up in the northern section of Zone 3. Can't miss it."

"Come on, Party. Let's go!" Electric checked the charge on her blaster, satisfied that her battery was at a high level. She ran towards the motorbike parked near the bar, sliding her new mask back over her eyes. Party nodded, throwing the mike back at Dr. D before following Electric.

"Keep your gun close, son. Party Poison and a friend are headed your way."

* * *

Toxic Torrent lowered the radio before looking back up at the Chief Exterminator and the two Dracs standing behind him, white blasters poised and ready to fire.

"I did what you wanted. They're on their way here. Now please, let me go, like you promised." Torrent placed the mascot tiger head that he always carried around with him on his head, preparing to leave.

Korse merely smiled as he shook his head. "But we can't have you running off and telling anyone about your little lie now, can we?"

The two Dracs shot Torrent in the chest and head. He fell backwards on the old motel bed, blood seeping from his fatal wound on his chest onto the yellow and black windbreaker, eventually dripping onto the filthy duvet underneath him. Blood also splattered onto the gaping hole where multiple lasers burned through the poor protection that the headgear offered.

"Watch the body. Don't move it," Korse ordered to the two Dracs in the room. They nodded as they took post by sitting in the two mismatched armchairs near the bed, across from the door to the motel room.

Korse grinned as he checked his blaster before peering out the half-closed blinds by the windows. The group of Draculoids that accompanied him were rushing around, positioning themselves along the line of rooms in this part of the motel, hiding inside the abandoned rooms. Everything was falling into place perfectly.

"I'm waiting, Party Poison. You can't run for much longer."


	29. Welcome to the Black Parade

Chapter 29: Welcome to the Black Parade

Kobra threw himself back down behind the broken shelving, serving as cover in the shootout, as lasers flew overhead. A couple hit the shelving, send pieces flying in every direction.

"They just aren't falling," he told Fun Ghoul, avoiding pieces of debris from falling on him.

"I guess those security androids are getting better after all." Ghoul slammed the fresh battery into his blaster. "How many are left?"

"I think four. But they're approaching Jet Star pretty quick."

Ghoul took a quick glance to assess the situation out on the main floor. Sure enough, two of them were headed towards where Jet had taken position, behind the counter Kobra was sitting not even 15 minutes ago.

"They're gonna pin him down," Ghoul replied as he sat back down. "Cover me."

"What are you going to do?"

"Something crazy."

Without warning, he grabbed Kobra's blaster out of Kobra's hand before running out into the open. A wild look was on his face as he shot the unsuspecting Draculoids. The ones that had been approaching the two Killjoys began to shoot. They missed as Kobra ran out, giving one of them a strong karate kick in the stomach, sending it to the floor. Ghoul slammed the butt of the gun over one the other's head, sending it to the floor unconscious. The other two heading in Jet Star's direction turned to aim as well, giving Jet a clear shot without having to duck. He shot them in their backs, sending them to the ground, writhing in pain.

"You guys okay?" Ghoul asked as Jet hopped over the counter, keeping his gun steady on the one Draculoid that was still conscious. It lay against some of the broken shelving, trying to catch its breath from when Kobra kicked it hard in the stomach. Ghoul kicked away its fallen gun, making sure that it was nowhere close at hand.

"You're right, that was crazy," Kobra rolled his eyes as he took his blaster back, training it on the Draculoid. Ghoul just snickered, which only got louder after Kobra punched him in the arm.

"Would you two cut it out?" Jet sighed, shaking his head at his two friends before returning a deadly glare at the Draculoid. He crouched down, holding the blaster over where the Drac's heart would be.

_If a Draculoid had a heart…_

"So what do we do with this one here?" Jet asked, cocking his head to the side, as if he was determining the fate of the individual in front of him.

"Think he knows anything?" Kobra asked, stepping closer.

"I highly doubt it. Looks like a low-ranking Drac if I ever saw one."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Ghoul picked up one of the discarded white blasters on the floor, taking out the batteries inside before pocketing them. "I don't really want to throw a Drac in the trunk if it isn't gonna get us any more knowledge about Better Living."

"So do we just kill it now?" Jet looked over his shoulder at Ghoul, still on his treasure hunt for batteries. "I mean, we could…"

Without warning, the Draculoid grabbed at Jet Star's blue blaster, ripping it out of his grip before using it on the Killjoys. It took dead aim at the unsuspecting Fun Ghoul, shooting off a few blasts in what seemed like slow motion. The blasts hit their target, sending Ghoul down in a scream of pain and agony. But the Drac's success was short-lived, as Kobra sent a retaliating laser back, square at its head. The body slid down to the floor, a burn mark through the mask into the brain of the creature.

"Shit!" Ghoul wheezed as he clutched at his right arm, curling up in a pseudo-fetal position as Kobra and Jet ran over. They could see blood begin to seep out of the injuries to his legs and in between the fingers of his left hand as he clutched at the wound.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Kobra muttered as he looked down at his friend. He looked back up at Jet, who looked too stunned for words.

"What's with these fucking Dracs and shooting me in the goddamn legs?" Ghoul whined.

"You tell me," Kobra replied. Ghoul stuck his tongue out at Kobra before hissing in pain.

"Kobra, go get the medical kit and the radio out of the car," Jet ordered. Kobra nodded as he got up and ran outside.

"How're you doing?"

"The best I fucking can, being shot and all," Ghoul replied, shaking his head. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm a fucking target for Drac lasers now."

"For all we know, you could be," Jet shrugged off his jacket, using it to cover up Ghoul's shaking torso.

"Kobra, grab some blankets too while you're at it," he shouted over his shoulder.

"I only have two hands, you know!" he heard Kobra shout back. Within 30 seconds, Kobra came running back in, his arms full of what Jet asked for.

Jet went to work on the wounds Ghoul sustained. It was a bit awkward asking Ghoul to take off his pants, but with injuries to his upper legs, it had to be done. They threw a blanket over the top of Ghoul, to stop him shaking as Jet used the scarce medical materials they had on hand to dress the wounds. It wasn't much, and hydrogen peroxide and gauze can only get you so far.

"Hang in there," Kobra comforted Ghoul, grabbing onto Ghoul's right hand. He felt Ghoul squeeze back in response.

"Doing the best I can," Ghoul replied. He was starting to sweat now.

"Luckily nothing major was hit on your legs," Jet replied, moving to the other side of Kobra to begin working on Ghoul's arm. "Though I wouldn't recommend getting up for a while yet."

"So what are we supposed to do? Wait?" Kobra was becoming hysterical.

_I knew something bad was going to happen…_

"You need to calm down. We can just call Techno and Pony and have them meet us here. They can get Ghoul back to the diner while we go pick up what we need." Jet picked up the discarded radio that Kobra had brought in, preparing to send out a message.

He only got interrupted by another radio transmission.


	30. Famous Last Words

Chapter 30: Famous Last Words

"All patrolling units be advised. Targets 'Party Poison' and 'Electric Revenge' have been spotted moving northbound in Zone 3 and are en route to rendezvous at motel. ETA 30 minutes. Patrols are to not to confront targets. Repeat: patrols are not to confront targets. All other targets are subject to Extermination on sight.

"Message repeating…"

Show Pony and Techno Beat sat frozen in their spots, staring at the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W-hacked radio.

"Pika-chan's in trouble," Techno whispered to herself as Pony grabbed the radio she had gotten out of the van earlier. It was slightly taken apart, wires hanging out in every direction, an attempt to figure out how to bypass the jammed signal.

"Jet Star? Fun Ghoul? Kobra Kid? Are you there?" Pony spoke into the radio. It was a tense few moments as they waited for a response back.

"Show Pony, is that you?" Jet Star's voice responded, crackling a bit due to the static coming through. "What's going on?"

"I've been trying to get a hold of you for twenty minutes! There's a bunch of Draculoids headed your way. You need to get out of there now…"

"We know Show Pony. They ambushed us."

"Is everyone all right?" A look of concern passed on Techno's face as she listened into the conversation.

"Kobra and I are fine, but Ghoul was injured pretty badly. Nothing life-threatening, but he's not going to be able to fight for a while. Is it possible for you and Techno to get him back to the diner?"

Pony looked over at Techno, who nodded. "But we haven't heard from anyone yet on the Inner-Internet…"

A _ding_ from the computer interrupted her sentence. She turned, seeing an icon on the screen boldly flash.

"Do we have something?" Pony asked, hopping down to look over Techno's shoulder.

"Give me a minute." Techno clicked on the message, letting it flash on the screen:

_ Techno Beat—_

_ I might be able to help you out with your inquiry. I'm currently en route with an associate of mine from Old Las Vegas and should be in the area by this evening at the earliest. From what I understand, you need something with a lot of processor speed to read the file you have. I should be able to rig something on one of my laptops to help you with that. _

_ Please send me coordinates back as soon as possible. I promise that this line of communication is secure and should not be intercepted by the enemy._

_ Digital Ghost_

"What do you think Techno? Do you trust this guy?" Pony sounded unsure.

"It's coming from an IP address that I know isn't hooked into the Battery City's," Techno responded after a few clicks and some furious typing on the keyboard. "If any Draculoids had gotten a hold of what I sent out, the message would've come from their servers. I think we're in the clear, Show Pony."

"Show Pony? Are you there?" The neglected radio squawked.

"Sorry about that Jet. I think Techno just found someone to help out with our computer problems."

"Good. Because I need you two to get out here now. Party and Electric are in serious trouble."

"So you heard that transmission too?"

"We did. Kobra and I are going to try to meet up with those two before they reach the motel. But we're running out of time."

"All right. We should be ready in a few minutes and should be at the station in about 20 minutes. Tell Ghoul to hold on."

* * *

Jet Star lowered the radio as the Kobra Kid tried to make Ghoul comfortable among the rubble inside the gas station. Fun Ghoul looked strange lying against the broken shelving, his lower body covered in a ragged-looking blanket, his green blaster lying innocently in his lap.

"Are you going to be all right by yourself?" Jet asked, crouching down.

"I'll be fine. S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W probably think those Dracs ghosted us by now." Ghoul cracked a smile.

"Pony and Techno are on their way. Everything's going to be okay. Let's go, Kobra."

With that, the two of them ran out of the gas station and into the fueled Trans-Am. With a crunch of metal , ramming into the Better Living cars that had parked them in, they made it to the highway, speeding towards their friends in trouble.

* * *

Electric held on tight to Party as they sped down the road to the motel. The only mode of transportation left at the diner was Kobra's motorcycle. Unfortunately, Kobra only had one helmet, which Party let Electric use. Party just placed his MouseKat head on as a helmet of sorts. Electric wasn't sure how he was doing it, but somehow he could see out of that monstrosity on his head and down the road.

The road itself wasn't as paved as nicely as Route Guano, not that Route Guano was in immaculate state. She could feel the ruts and grooves bike jostle her in her seat as they hit them, but she still held on tightly to Party. Something about holding onto him made her feel comfortable about the situation. So far no Draculoids had spotted them, for all she knew, and she was fine with that. The less she saw of them, the better off she felt.

She wrapped her arms around Party's chest tighter. He turned around for a brief look, the MouseKat head doing the smiling for him. She smiled back as she laid her head against his back as they sped further north.

_We're going to save you Blaze. Just hold on._


	31. The World is Ugly

_A/N: Hello faithful readers. Sorry the last few chapters have been filler-ish. It was Spring Break and I unfortunately wasn't able to use the time off to really get some quality writing done. Now I'm back at school, finishing up my last weeks of being a college student (gulp!). I hope this chapter makes up for that._

_Sorry also about not getting back to your reviews. FanFiction has decided to be mean and not let me know immediately when people post things to the site. It's been taking about 36 hours until they actually do, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Hopefully it's fixed soon..._

_Oh, and have you seen those awesome Killjoy replica jackets? God do I want one so bad! But being a poor college student sucks in more ways than one. But I have an idea. I know some of you guys really like this story (maybe even love it, I don't know). If I actually published this and sold it, would you buy it? Just wondering..._

_And now, back to the story!_

Chapter 31: The World is Ugly

Techno could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins as Show Pony sped down the road towards the gas station. They had decided to take one of the lesser-traveled roads, since the patrols were in high alert. But in all of her short time being a rebel against Better Living, she had never been in a life or death situation like this.

Well, she really had never been in a life or death situation before in her life, to tell the truth. Living so sheltered in Battery City was a lot different than growing up in the desert, she was starting to realize. No amount of schooling in Battery City could tell you how to handle a situation when the people you were starting to care about were certainly headed towards destruction.

And you couldn't do anything about it.

"It'll be all right, Techno," she barely heard Show Pony say. She looked over at him, swallowing the fear building in her stomach.

"Does this usually happen to the Killjoys?" Techno voice shook as she asked the question.

"Yeah, but they always seem to get out of these messes of theirs." He flashed an overconfident smile before looking back at the road in front of him.

Techno nodded, looking back down at the white blaster in her lap. For all the hype the runners in Battery City had said about fighting off Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W soldiers, she seriously felt underprepared. She wasn't sure if she would be able to shoot anyone if it called for it.

Even those creepy Draculoids.

"How do you do it, Show Pony?"

"What?"

She looked over at the confused Killjoy. "How are you able to handle this? All this pressure? I don't know if I can handle it…" She could feel a panic attack coming on as her breaths became shorter.

The van stopped, stirring up dust on the crumbling asphalt. Pony turned in his seat, looking at the trembling form of Techno. He placed his hands on her shoulders, giving them a slight squeeze in comfort. She looked up at him, tears forming in her almond eyes.

"Honey, you need to breathe. You can't worry so much over something we can't control."

She nodded, tears flying off her face as she slowed her breaths. "How do you do it, Show Pony?" she asked after a while.

"You asked that before. Do what?"

"This." She waved her arms out in front. "Now I know why I couldn't leave the city on my own. I don't think I can live with myself if something happened to Pika-chan…"

"Techno, you need to calm down," Pony said forcefully. Techno looked at him; his strong brown eyes locked their gaze into her concerned ones. "You can do this. You're a Killjoy now. I know you can."

"But I've never even shot anything before. What if I can't if I have to?"

"Don't over think this. Just follow your instincts."

She nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Thanks, Show Pony."

"Stop being so proper, Techno. You're in the desert now. And if you really wanted to, you could call me Ricky."

She looked up at him, confused. "Ricky?"

"We do use our real names out in the desert, sweetie. Especially among friends."

She let out a small giggle as she blushed. "Mine's Mika. Mika Sasaki."

"Well then, Mika, let's go get our friends out of this mess."

* * *

Fun Ghoul spun his blaster lazily with his uninjured right hand. His whole body ached and he wanted to sleep, but he had to stay awake until Pony and Techno got there. He wasn't sure how long had passed since Jet and Kobra had left him at the gas station, but he figured it was longer than 20 minutes.

He hated being alone in the quiet. It made him claustrophobic, something his hyper personality couldn't stand. Being surrounded by the bodies of dusted Dracs didn't help much either. But he knew he couldn't let Party and Electric drive straight into that trap waiting for them.

He sighed as he held his blaster out in front of him, aiming at some imaginary target on the wall in front of him. _Wow, am I bored out of my mind. You guys better get here soon before I blow my brains out of boredom…_

The sound of an engine outside the diner diverted his attention away from whatever he was aiming at. He tried to look out the window from his position on the floor, but from this angle he couldn't see anything.

At least until he saw a flash of white pass by the window in the briefest of moments.

He aimed his blaster at the front door, waiting anxiously for it to open.

_Come on you Drac fuckers, come and get me. I haven't got all fucking day._

He was prepared to go down fighting if he had to. There wasn't any other way to die out here.

The door handle turned ever so slowly.

He was so concentrated at his front door target that he didn't hear the back door open, accompanied by a pair of black boots cautiously stomping their way towards the unsuspecting Killjoy.

* * *

The motorcycle slowed as Party Poison and Electric Revenge pulled up to the motel. Being out in the middle of nowhere in the northern part of Zone 3, it almost looked like a safe haven to Electric. Most of the buildings housing the rooms were still standing, though some of the doors were hanging off their hinges. Giant light bulbs of multiple colors were still intact, bordering the trim of the main office and the overhanging carport in front.

"This looks like a nice place," Electric replied, sliding the helmet off of her head. It knocked her mask askew, which she quickly fixed.

"It is. We stop here when the patrols get too close to the diner," Party replied, looking around the place.

"So where is this friend of yours?" Electric asked, looking around the place again. The wind was blowing the dust around in between the run-down buildings, collecting in the dried-up pool. A few of the doors squeaked on their hinges, but nothing looked out of place. If Toxic Torrent was here, he wasn't showing himself.

"That's a good question." Party shook his mascot-covered head. "I swear he said…"

A laser bullet hit near Electric's feet, kicking up dust onto her boots and causing her to jump in the air. Party looked at the direction of the shot, seeing a solitary Draculoid standing about 20 feet away, its white blaster aimed at the two of them. Party immediately placed himself in between the Drac and Electric, shielding her with his body.

"I got this handled," he whispered as he looked over his shoulder at her. The mascot head shook as he walked towards the Draculoid, who had lowered its blaster. The Drac walked forward until they were feet apart.

"Let's go." Electric heard Party say as his hand hovered near his blaster. The Drac merely let out a single laugh before aiming its gun back at Party. It barely had two shots off before Party swiped out his blaster, hitting the Draculoid square in the chest with a few laser blasts of his own. It was almost like in an Old West shootout, the way he used his blaster to kill that Drac. It fell to the ground in a heap.

Party walked forward, gently kicking the body, making sure it was dead before removing his MouseKat mascot head. Electric ran forward, taking a look for herself at the ghosted Drac.

"There's probably more snooping around," Party replied, sliding his own mask on over his eyes as his MouseKat head hung lazily behind his back. "Keep your gun close."  
Electric nodded, sliding her electric glove onto her right hand. The silver and black contrasted against the yellow of her leather jacket, the ribbons of wires adding even more color that slightly clashed. She buckled on the hacked wristwatch connected to the wrist of the glove, making sure it was tight. She turned the thing on, setting it to a low level before pulling out her own blaster.

"We're going to have to split up if we want to find Torrent fast enough," Party sighed. "As much as I hate having to that with all these Dracs around. If there's one, there's bound to be more."

"I'll be fine, Party," Electric gave him a confident smile as she looked up at him. "You know I can handle myself."

"Don't I know it," he chuckled. "Go take the rooms across from the pool. I'll go look for him around the office area."

"What am I looking for, exactly?" Electric inquired, raising her eyebrow.

"You can't miss Torrent. He's got a giant tiger's head, just like this." He held up his MouseKat head.

Electric shook her head, giggling. "I don't get what you see with those things."

"Hey, don't rag on MouseKat. He's been with me for years."

She looked at mascot head, noticing the patches of faux fur missing and the layer of dust covering the thing. "I can tell."

"Now, come on. Let's find Torrent before any more Dracs show their ugly faces."

Electric cautiously moved towards the row of rooms sitting away from the main office. Six grimy windows faced out towards the empty pool. A few were broken, the off-white blinds sticking out jaggedly among the cracked glass. She slowly moved down the row of rooms, stopping by each room and doing a quick search through an open door or cracked window.

But nothing looked out of place. Well, for an abandoned motel, that is.

It wasn't until she got to room number 15 when something was amiss. The door was actually shut, the window intact with the blinds slightly shut.

Something was wrong with this picture; she could feel it coursing through her body like electricity. She took a look around to confirm her suspicion. There wasn't any sign of the tell-tale white of the enemy around her, but it still didn't make her feel better.

C_ome on Becca. Snap out of it. You'll find Torrent. Just stay focused._

Taking a deep breath, she placed her left hand on the door knob. The door gave way easily, causing her to raise her blaster in front of her as she walked forward into the room.

The room was in a muted darkness. She could make out two empty armchairs across from her, their ugly floral print not able to be hidden in the darkness. On the table between them sat today's edition of _The Battery City Times_, once again flaunting the Exterminate mug shots the four Fabulous Killjoys on the front page. However, another picture sat below them, off near the side of the page. It was a picture of her own Exterminate poster, complete with the red X and the black bar over her eyes.

_I guess we caused more waves in Battery City than we thought._ She looked back up, surveying the room. It was then she began to smell something. A horrid stench filled the room, almost like death.

_God, what the fuck is that?_

Her question was answered as she looked in the wall-sized mirror to her right. Reflected behind her was a dead body lying on the bed. She turned around in fear, her blaster shaking in her grip. It looked even worse in reality.

She unconsciously found herself walking forward, towards the morbid sight. It looked so creepy, the unmoving body lying on top of another ugly floral print. There was so much blood, splattered across the charred hole in the tiger mascot head and onto the duvet that it nearly caused her to vomit.

"I think I found Torrent," she whispered to herself.

"That you did." A slightly familiar steely voice sounded behind her, causing chills to go down her spine. She turned towards the voice, nearly tripping on her swords as she did.

The Chief Exterminator of the Zones—the man that killed her parents—stood in front of her. A malicious smile was on his face, as his surrounding army of Draculoids moved in around him, their blasters aimed directly at her.

"Hello, Electric Revenge. It's been a while."


	32. Jet Star and Kobra KidTraffic Report

Chapter 32: Jet Star and the Kobra Kid/Traffic Report

The painted Trans-Am zoomed down Route Guano in a blur of color. Kobra was pushing down on the accelerator so hard that Jet knew they were going faster than they ever had before. He took a brief look at the speedometer, which was now clocking out near 120 miles per hour.

"I know we need to get to them before S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W does, but we both need to be alive to help," Jet replied as Kobra pushed the car even faster.

Kobra didn't reply. He wasn't sure how he could. The feeling that had been sitting in his stomach ever since they left the diner had grown ten times worse. He knew that Party Poison—his brother, his protector—was headed for certain trouble. It didn't help that the last words they spoke were arguing over Electric.

_Electric Revenge. How that girl flipped everything upside down the last few days is anyone's guess._

"Mikey, it's going to be all right." Jet's voice broke Kobra out of his thoughts. Kobra looked over at his friend, who had a sympathetic look underneath his aviators. "We'll get them out of this mess."

"I'm not so sure, Ray. I have a feeling we might be too late this time to save them."

"You can't think like that. We've had close calls before. This is just another one of them."

Kobra sighed, looking back at Jet. He wanted to say something else, but he just found himself shaking his head before looking back out the front windshield. Thank goodness his own pair of aviators was hiding his true feelings from Jet.

"You're not telling me something."

Silence.

"Mikey, you better damn tell me now. It could save Gee's and Becca's lives."

"Why is it always about Becca? Becca this, Becca that! What is with that girl? Ever since she's been with us, it's been nothing but danger and misery with her. I'm getting sick of it…"

"You like her," Jet plainly interjected.

Kobra's mouth dropped open as he looked over at Jet, who simply had a smug smile on his face.

"What? No I don't!" The words rushed out a bit too quickly for Kobra's taste.

"I saw you two last night talking on the hood of the car when I was on patrol. You care about her just like the rest of us. Don't deny it."

"Okay, so maybe I do actually care about her."

"I knew it. Too bad Frank isn't here to see the look on your face."

Kobra deadpanned. "If I wasn't driving right now, I'd be kicking your ass."

"Sure you would."

"Sounds like a bet."

A small smile flashed on Kobra's face. "Fine. You, me, hand on hand combat the next time we're able. Loser has to take winner's guard duty for a month."

"Sounds fair enough. But let's worry about getting to Gerard and Becca first."

Just as Kobra was about to nod, something made impact on the back end of the car. Kobra could feel the car become loose as they swerved on the road.

"What the…"

"Mikey! Look out!"

Kobra barely saw the black car approaching them on the driver's side. The next thing they felt was the car ram into them, sending the Trans-Am rolling. It landed on its roof in the ditch on the side of road in a cloud of dust.

Kobra wasn't sure how long he was out, but he knew that he had blacked out for some period of time. Everything was upside down as he looked out the front windshield in a daze. He looked over at Jet Star, who wasn't moving. Blood was leaking from an injury near his temple, dripping down towards the roof of the car as he hung limply, only held up by his seatbelt.

"Ray." Kobra quickly unbuckled himself, hitting the roof of the car hard as he fell. Everything was spinning as he released Jet's seatbelt. It was awkward trying to move Jet's unconscious form in the claustrophobic car, but eventually he was able to get Jet's body right side up, ready to move out of the car.

"Ray, damn it, wake up," Kobra muttered, kicking out the cracked driver's side window. The tempered glass shattered, providing them an exit out of the metal carnage.

"Mikey?" Ray's voice sounded confused as he opened his eyes, only to shut them immediately as the bright sunshine hit them. "What happened?"

"S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W happened." Kobra began to scoot out of the car, avoiding the shattered glass as best he could. He offered a hand back inside for Jet.

Jet placed a hand near his injury, only to wince once his hand made contact with the fresh wound. He removed his hand, only to see blood staining his leather glove.

"Come on." Kobra's voice sounded urgent as he grabbed his red blaster out of its holster. He heard the squealing of tires stop on the asphalt not even 20 feet away.

Jet grabbed onto Kobra's hand, who pulled him out of the car. They both stood, dizzy by the sudden elevation, only to hear the sound of blasters charge off in the distance. They turned to see seven or eight Dracs standing on the road, their white blasters aimed at the Killjoys.

"Well, if it isn't Jet Star and the Kobra Kid." One of the Draculoids stepped forward. The two of them recognized this specific Draculoid by his mask, the neatest looking one out of the grotesque-looking things.

Korse's own right hand man.

"I suppose Korse sent you to finish us off," Kobra spat, preparing to charge his own blaster. It was only met with a chorus of blasters charging behind them. They both turned, only to see more Draculoids standing behind them, blasters raised and ready to fire.

"Shame it can't be all four of you, but my boss has things planned for your leader." Kobra could tell that the Drac was smiling under his mask by the tone of his voice. He bristled, clutching the blaster tighter in his hand. He could feel Jet doing the same thing next to him. "But in either case," the Drac continued, "two dead Killjoys are better than none."

The Draculoid raised its blaster at Kobra and Jet, cocking his head to the side as his blaster charged to take a shot.

"Fire."

* * *

_ "Bad news from the zones tumbleweeds. Looks like Jet Star and the Kobra Kid had a clap with an Exterminator that went all Costa Rica and, uh, got themselves ghosted, dusted out on Route Guano. So it's time to hit the red line and up thrust the volume out there. Keep your boots tight, keep your gun close and die with your mask on if you've got to. Here is the traffic…"_ Dr. D lowered the mike as he switched on an earlier-recorded message. He looked down at Grace, who had tears forming in her eyes.

"Come here, sunshine." He let Grace snuggle into him as she began to cry, her tears staining his vest. He wrapped his arms around her as she let it all out.

"They…they can't be dead," he heard her cry into him. "Jet Star. Kobra Kid. They can't be dead."

His heart broke as she sobbed, but he knew there was nothing he could do. It was a risk living this life of theirs, but it still didn't make things any easier when a close friend got ghosted.

"Godspeed, you two," he whispered, as a tear of his own made its way down his face.


	33. Vampires Will Never Hurt You

Chapter 33: Vampires Will Never Hurt You (…But Dracs Sure Will)

The blue panel van pulled to a stop outside the gas station; hitting one of the Better Living black cars with a crunch of metal as it did so.

"Whoops," Show Pony cringed as he opened the door of the van, looking at the bashed-in cars.

"Are we still going to be able to leave?" Techno asked, stepping out into the bright sunlight to take a look at the damage. She had to shield her eyes to be able to see anything, reminding her that she really needed to buy a pair of sunglasses, or a pair of goggles at least.

"Yeah, we'll be fine." Pony lifted his pink blaster from the holster strung over the car seat, checking its charge. "Now come on."

"Coming!" Techno grabbed her blaster from out of front seat before following Show Pony to where he stood in between the door and the window. He put a finger up to his helmet as he looked into the window behind him.

"Is he in there?" Techno whispered. The blaster was shaking in her grip.

"Looks like it. But he's pretty injured from all the bandages I'm seeing. And there's a bunch of ghosted Dracs around him." Pony placed his free hand on the door handle, raising his pink blaster.

"You don't think there are still any alive in there, do you?" Techno's eyes widened at the thought.

"You can't tell in situations like this." Pony looked at her, seriousness evident through the visor of his helmet. "On three."

"One." He began to turn the handle slowly.

"Two." Techno held her blaster in front of her, ready to shoot if needed.

"Three!"  
Pony pushed the door open, only to get two lasers aimed right at him: one from a ready-to-fight Fun Ghoul; the other from an approaching Draculoid not even ten feet behind the Killjoy. The surprise barrage missed Pony, but the white laser from the Draculoid grazed Techno's arm. Reflex caused her to pull the trigger of her white blaster, sending a retaliating shot at the Drac, hitting dead center in its chest. It slammed to the floor as the body began to smoke.

"What the…" Ghoul looked at the Drac before looking back at his two rescuers. "What took you guys so fucking long?"

"Well, if you want us to leave you here…" Pony replied mischievously before realizing Techno had fallen to her knees, clutching her upper right arm.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine." Techno said between gritted teeth before looking up at Pony with a half smile. "My first war wound."

Pony chuckled as he helped Techno back up on her feet, minding the injury.

"Hey, are we forgetting about the seriously injured person here?" Ghoul lamented, trying to haphazardly get up off the floor with help from the shelving. It was in his rush that the blanket covering his modesty fell, revealing Ghoul's red boxers.

"Well, I guess that answers the question boxers or briefs," Pony coyly said, raising his visor. Techno blushed as Ghoul frowned.

"Ha, ha, very funny. Will someone please help me get my pants back on?"

Techno quickly grabbed Ghoul's discarded clothing, awkwardly avoiding from looking at the pants-less Ghoul as she handed them to him. It was a few minutes before Ghoul was able to get his pants back on, without aggravating his injuries on his legs.

"Now let's get out of here, before we run into more Dracs deciding to crash the party." Show Pony and Techno each grabbed under Ghoul's arm, more or less lifting him out to the van, where they settled him on the bench seat in the back. Techno quickly got him settled in the back, throwing the discarded blanket from inside the gas station over Ghoul to use on the way back.

"You know, you would make a cute nurse if you wanted," Ghoul smiled. Techno just shook her head at him.

"Pika-chan's right. You are a silly ten-year old."

"You better believe it, sister."

"Are we ready to go?" Pony slid into the driver's seat, watching Techno climb back into the front only to freeze halfway. She stared out the front window, raising a shaking finger to point at something outside.

"Um, Show Pony?"

Pony looked, only to see two or three black cars come zooming down the highway, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.

"I think that's our cue to leave." Pony got the van to start with no problem, and within seconds they sped back onto Route Guano, trying to increase the distance between them and the oncoming patrol.

"Radio back to Dr. D. Let him know we've got Ghoul, but there's hit a snag in getting back," Pony ordered to Techno, grabbing the radio off the dashboard in front of him. Techno took it, dialing back into the frequency. That was until Pony slammed on the brakes, sending all three of them forward.

"Dude, what the hell?" Ghoul shouted, trying to slide back onto the bench seat after catching himself by grabbing onto Pony's seat in front of him.

Pony leaned out the driver's side window, watching the cars that were following them turn around and head back into the direction of Battery City. "That's strange."

"Show Pony?" Techno caught his attention, looking down at the radio. "Something really bad happened." She turned up the radio for everyone to hear.

_"Bad news from the zones tumbleweeds…"

* * *

_

The office was pretty barren as Party poked around the room. Anything of value had pretty much been taken as soon as the world ended. Looting had been a problem in the first few years after the world ended, but that had pretty much fallen on the wayside as the rebels began to fall into more organized communities. Of course, if you wanted to loot, you could; it would only end up with you being shot at as you ran off with your stolen goods. Unless it was Better Living Brand items; those were anyone's for the taking.

But from what Party was seeing, there was no sign that Torrent had been in this room. The remaining furniture was still broken and haphazardly strewn across the room. Even the dark corners of the office were barren. He was starting to wonder if Torrent had decided to run off after that transmission. That man was known more to run than to actually fight, and if Draculoids were snooping around, well, that might've sealed the deal.

Party sighed, shaking his head as he looked out the window to look at where Electric was supposed to be searching. Across the yard was a massive group of white clumping around one of the motel rooms. The sight immediately sent an uncomfortable feeling through his body, as he knew Electric was still over there.

Gripping harder onto the blaster, he burst out of the office door, only to find himself become swarmed by Dracs that were appearing to come out of nowhere. Without even being prompted, he began to shoot at the group surrounding him. His aim was true, sending each soldier of Better Living down to the ground with a single shot to the chest.

"Party Poison!" His name echoed over the sand-stricken courtyard, ending his shooting spree. He looked over to the assembled group of Draculoids, who had moved from the motel room and assembled in the courtyard, lead none other by…

"Korse." The name was bitter on Party's tongue as he aimed his blaster at the most hated man in the Zones.

"It's nice of us to meet again, though I wish it was under different circumstances." The Exterminator smiled, unnatural-looking with his grey lips. He waved his hand, parting the group of Draculoids with him, as two Dracs dragged forward a struggling Electric Revenge, a blaster lodged underneath her chin.

Party felt his breath hitch in his throat as his blaster lowered, but only for a moment. He swallowed his feelings as he aimed back at Korse.

"Let. Her. Go." Party was deadly serious as he looked at the assembled group of Draculoids, now aiming their blasters at him.

"Well now, it looks like the leader of the Fabulous Killjoys has a bit of a crush now, doesn't he?" Korse taunted. He could see anger flash underneath the mask as the yellow blaster waivered a bit in Party's grip. He loved seeing the Killjoy squirm, but this was absolutely priceless, and working into his hand. "I would let her go. But you see, there's a certain someone back in Battery City who I'm sure would love to see her before the both of them die."

"Chemical." Party could see Electric whisper the name before she began struggling again; only to stop as a Drac hit her on the back of her head with the butt of his gun. She fell face first to the ground, into the dust. Party rushed forward a few steps, only to stop as the sound of charging blasters filled the air.

"You bastard," Party growled, looking at Electric before tightening his grip on his blaster.

Korse just continued to smile. "You should be happy, Killjoy. I'm letting you go free."

Electric was gingerly feeling the bleeding injury on the back of her head as two Dracs grabbed her arms, lifting her to her knees and replacing the blaster under her chin. She looked up at Party, tears trailing down her cheeks from underneath her mask. He could feel his heart absolutely begin to tear at the sight of her, but he couldn't let his feelings dictate what happened.

_Or could it?_

"I have a better idea." Party spoke up, diverting the attention away from the quietly sobbing form of Electric. Korse cocked his head to the side, amusement on his face.

"Go on."

"Trade her for me." The silence was deafening as the words settled on the group. He avoided Electric's gaze. This was hard enough to do without looking at the girl he had grown to care about the last few days. "When else are you going to get the chance to take in Battery City's most wanted?"

"Party, no!" Electric shouted, only to find a blaster aimed at the back of her head. Korse pondered the proposition for a moment, pacing slightly as he thought, keeping them both in suspense.

"This is a one time opportunity. But you have to guarantee that Electric Revenge is allowed to walk away from this."

Korse continued to pace. He eventually stopped, motioning to his Draculoids.

"Let her go."

Electric fell back to the ground, choking on desert sand again before looking up at Party. She watched as the Draculoids swarmed around him, forcing him to his knees as they tore his yellow blaster away, throwing it off the side. She scrambled off the ground quickly, running over to Party as they handcuffed his hands behind his back.

"You can't do this Gerard," she sobbed into his blue jacket, wrapping her arms around his middle. "I'm not having some else die because of me."

She felt his head lower, his lips near his ear. "I have to. You can still save him."

Electric found herself grabbed by the shoulders and thrown back to the ground. Tears filled her eyes as she watched Party forced to stand before being more-or-less dragged over to the retreating form of Korse.

_No_, _this can't be happening. Not again._ She found her emotions start to overtake her. The rage, anger, fury she had been holding onto ever since her parents died was bubbling back to the surface. Her eyes caught sight of Party's discarded laser blaster, lying innocently near the edge of the pool.

"Korse!" The Chief Exterminator spun around to see Electric stand at by the edge of the pool, her yellow blaster and Party's in her possession and aimed at him. "You may have killed my parents, but you aren't going to take Party Poison away from me."

"Electric! Don't…" Party shouted, only to be elbowed in the gut hard by an escorting Draculoid. Korse simply looked at Party, who had fallen to a knee, before looking at Electric.

"I'm giving you the opportunity to leave. Don't waste it."

She shot off a laser, letting it graze past Korse's head. "You're not going to let me leave here alive. You and I both know that. You'll send your Dracs after me if I run. Well, I'm not about to keep running any longer from you." She raised both blasters in front of her.

It was barely a moment before she felt electricity course through her midsection. Time slowed to a crawl. The blasters in her hands clattered to the ground. She clutched at her abdomen, feeling the sticky blood begin to cover her hands. Party's yells of fury barely made through her pain-clouded brain as she looked up from her crimson-covered hands. A Drac's blaster smoking at the end was the last thing she saw as she stumbled backwards before falling. Her body eventually made impact on the bottom of the empty bowl of the pool.

Everything began to spin as she shook, clutching her bleeding middle. Darkness was coming; she couldn't avoid the shadows creeping into her vision.

She was going to die, and die alone.

"Gerard…I'm so sorry…" The words died on her lips as her blurred vision faded to black.


	34. Bury Me in Black

Chapter 34: Bury Me in Black

"You think it's safe to come out of hiding?"

"I don't know, Neon. It's kind of hard to tell when you're stuck in the ceiling."

"I blame you, Digital."

"What? How is it my fault? "

"You're the one that decided to have us hide up here in the first place."

"And where else were we supposed to hide?"

"I don't know. And I blame you for almost having the Dracs catch us. If you would've silenced that damn mobile device of yours, maybe then we wouldn't have been in this position having to stay quiet!"

"You know you're not being exactly quiet right now. If the Dracs were still here, I think they would've found us by now."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

The panel in the ceiling of the motel room moved. A tattered backpack fell to the floor before a young man jumped down, landing lightly on his feet. He brushed himself off, getting some order back on his mostly-white ensemble. Though white was usually associated with Draculoids and all things Better Living, accents of color—mostly red and blue—were added to his outfit. After all, color kept your sanity in a black and white world.

At least that's what Neon Paint told him when they first met.

"Digital, would you stop making yourself all pretty and help me down?" Neon Paint sighed as her paint-covered legs hung out of the hole in the ceiling. Digital shook his head as he held out his arms, catching his associate as she nearly fell out of their hiding place.

"You know, it's moments like these that make me wonder how the hell you survived so long in the slums of Old Las Vegas."

Neon Paint rolled her eyes as she moved her blue-dyed bangs out of her eyes. "Oh, shut up."

Digital Ghost shook his head as he grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder before pulling out a small touch-screen device out of his pocket.

"So, did whatever-the-name-is message you back?" Neon followed him as he walked over to the window, flipping the blinds back.

"It's Techno Beat. And yes, I did get a message back." He scrolled through something on the screen. "We're headed off to Zone 4, I guess."

"I don't know why you decided that we should take a road trip out to the Zones. There's plenty of work around Old Las Vegas if you look for it."

"Because the wireless signal out here is much stronger than it is in Vegas. And it's much easier to hack into the satellites so I can get the Inner-Internet."

They exited the dark and dank motel room, walking into the bright sunshine. Both of them slid on a pair of sunglasses and their bandannas over their mouths before walking further out. Digital scanned the abandoned courtyard, watching the wind pick up the sand and blow it around. It was quiet, much like how the two of them found the place when they stopped here a couple of days ago. Except for the massive amount of footprints in the sandy yard, the place was the same.

It was when the Dracs swarmed on this place a few hours ago did Digital and Neon scramble to hide in the ceiling of the motel room. Some zone rat had led the patrols here, hoping to use the place to hide. Well, that's what at least Digital figured out as jumbled voices floated through the drop-down ceiling.

What had happened to him, Digital didn't know, nor did he care. He was just thankful they decided to hide the jeep they had been using since leaving Old Las Vegas a week ago in the scrub brush of the desert.

Crazy to think that not even a month ago he was a down-on-his-luck hacker, making a living by doing the occasional digital theft job, and breaking the occasional slot machine for much needed carbons in Old Las Vegas. He didn't expect to meet Neon Paint, the self-proclaimed artist, the way he did.

Long story short, it had involved a crazy night that almost had him caught by Draculoids employed by the Better Living effort in rebuilding Las Vegas. A failed hack in one of the casinos he frequented caught their attention, at least until he literally ran into Neon, also running from her own swarm.

After spending hours navigating the sewers of the city avoiding the Dracs chasing them, they had established a very interesting relationship. It worked out to be a fruitful friendship as they scraped by a living. He knew it wouldn't be a problem living with a girl all the time; they weren't his type.

"Hey Digital, take a look at this!" Neon shouted, redirecting Digital's thoughts back to the present. He saw her pick up two laser blasters, yellow in color but with different paint schemes in the details, near the edge of the pool.

"Neon, come on. We got to go." Digital walked over, pulling out his own white blaster splattered with red and blue—courtesy of Neon. Just finding two lonely blasters raised his suspicions, for no one left their weapons unattended, unless it w as a trap. And of course, the first person who would run right into that trap would be Neon.

Another reason he was amazed the girl somehow survived before they ran into each other.

"Oh my god," Neon breathed as she looked over the edge of the pool, the yellow blasters in her hands. "Jerod!"

Digital's attention picked up as Neon used his real name. He ran over to the pool, blaster ready to fire if needed. He looked down, his breath catching in his throat.

"Go get some sheets out of one of the rooms!" he shouted, holstering his weapon as he slid down the edge of the pool. A girl close to his age laid motionless, arms wrapped tightly around her stomach. Digital figured she had been in pain before she passed out, the hurt scrawled on her face underneath the brightly-dyed hair and crooked yellow mask. He searched for a pulse, finding a weak, fluttering one as he pressed his fingers to her neck. Moving to the injury around her middle, he carefully lifted her arms, cringing as he saw the blood stained on her yellow shirt and onto her yellow jacket. A telltale burn through the shirt confirmed his suspicions.

"Here," Neon spoke up behind him. He turned to see her throw down a bundle of musty-smelling linens. "Need anything else?"

"Go get the jeep. She needs medical attention immediately." He dug the keys out of his pocket, throwing up at Neon. He heard her catch them before running off, leaving him with the unconscious and bleeding girl. He ripped apart the sheets, pressing the manageable amounts of fabric to the bleeding wound.

"Stay with me sister. We're going to get you help." He spoke to the unconscious girl, mostly just to assure himself that they were going to save her.

He felt like there was a reason he had to.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set on the Zones. A breeze from the west mixed the artificial smells of Battery City with the methane of the Zones. A lone Draculoid stood off the side of Route Guano, near the site of a brutal slaughter that took place hours earlier. Many of its fellow soldiers died, but their mission was almost complete.

It looked down at the two lone colorfully-clad bodies partially hidden a horribly-painted rusted Trans-Am. At least one patrol had been eliminated in the firefight, wiped out by two of the most wanted men in the area. But at least justice had been served, for Jet Star and the Kobra Kid had fallen in the slaughter, much to the delight of the Chief Exterminator.

The number one radioed to let him know and was ordered to make sure that there was no sign of the bodies before returning to Battery City. However, that didn't mean that the number one had to stay out there, not if two perfectly competent Dracs could easily get the job done.

The Drac knew the real reason though. It had heard it through the radio chatter between Korse and his number one.

They had captured the Zones' number one most wanted—Party Poison, the leader of the Fabulous Killjoys.

And the girl with him, Electric Revenge, was dead.

The Drac turned as he heard a car slow near where it stood on the side of the road.

"It took you long enough to find gasoline," the first Drac asked, its' mechanical voice sounding bored. "Let's get this over with so we can return to Battery City."

The Drac turned, briefly catching a glimpse of something red before feeling a laser enter his forehead. The second Drac fell as well after fumbling for its blaster.

"They sure took their damn time," the Kobra Kid muttered as he approached the two Dracs he ghosted. He kicked it, making sure it was dead.

It didn't move.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about any other Dracs on their way here." Jet Star slowly walked over, minding the multiple injuries he felt all over his body. Kobra nodded.

It hadn't been easy to fake their deaths among the group of Draculoids. But it had been a silent decision between the two of them once they realized it was the only way out, unless they actually wanted to be ghosted.

Everything had to be timed correctly to make sure they were perceived dead. They took advantage of the poor shots these Dracs were, letting the lasers graze past their bodies. Add to that lying still in the blistering sand for hours at end, well, they might've actually died from heat exhaustion as they waited for the two Dracs assigned to burn their bodies and the car to both be at the scene. They couldn't risk having one of them call for help.

"So now what do we do?" Kobra slunk to the ground, finally able to relax after spending hours acting like a corpse. "They have Gerard. And Becca's gone."

"I'm sure Dr. D overheard their transmission to Korse, so the news of our deaths has probably gone around the Zones," Jet joined Kobra on the ground. They sat in silence for a few minutes, leaning against the black car of the Draculoids, pondering about the crazy situation they were in.

Kobra studied the dead bodies scattered around them, a glimmer of an idea beginning to form. He crawled over to the ghosted Drac laying not even 10 feet away as Jet watched in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

Kobra ripped off the closest Draculoid's mask, lifting it into the air towards Jet, a smile on his face.

"I have an idea."


	35. Dead!

Chapter 35: Dead!

It was late when the black car roared up to the gate in the main tunnel into Battery City. The guard on duty looked up as it heard the engine of the muscle car, covered in dust and sporting a few new holes in the body.

"Identification?" the guard asked, uninterested.

The two white-clad occupants quickly held up their IDs for the guard to see. He took them, sliding it into the computer to check for authenticity.

"Draculoid unit 587220 and 180490, welcome back to Battery City." The guard handed back the IDs. "The Chief Exterminator's commander would like to see you first thing. Any questions?"

The two Dracs shook their heads in answer before leaving the gate. The car wound its way through the silent streets, towards the center of the city. It eventually ended up in the parking garage located under the tallest building in the city: Better Living headquarters.

The two occupants of the car exited the car in a timely manner after it had parked, making their way towards the staff entrance into the building. They nervously adjusted the white blazers and masks, jogging down the hallway cast in an unnatural greenish hue from the lights overhead. As they waited for an elevator to descend, one of the Dracs carefully studied the directory posted in the middle of the two elevators.

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. The two entered, pushing on the floor 3 button before the doors shut.

"Argh, I didn't think these masks were so itchy," Jet Star pulled off latex vampire mask, wiping the sweat off his face.

"Put that back on!"the Kobra Kid hissed from underneath his. "You know security is higher in here. Want to blow our covers?"

Jet frowned as he slid the mask back on. "I can't believe you convinced me this was a good idea."

"Well, we got in, didn't we?"

"That doesn't mean anything."

The elevator stopped on floor 3, revealing a partially-empty hallway. In front of them was a sign, with the smiling face logo of BL/Ind. Next to it in bold black letters was S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W, with an arrow pointing to the right. The two undercover Killjoys walked in that direction, passing by the occasional guard or Drac walking in the opposite direction.

Kobra could feel that ever-present anxiety grow the further down the hall they walked. He wasn't sure what compelled him to think this was a brilliant idea in the first place.

_I guess I wasn't thinking. Why does that seem to happen when Gerard's in trouble?_

"It took you two long enough." They stopped as a voice echoed from down the hall. Turning, they saw the one Draculoid they didn't want to see.

Not this soon after ordering to kill them.

"I leave you two with one simple mission, and it takes you more than two hours to complete."

The two were frozen, unsure of how to answer the question.

"Well?"

"Sorry, sir. Gasoline was hard to come by," Jet answered in the best monotone drawl he could muster. Kobra's mouth dropped open slightly in surprise before shutting it. He was internally thankful the mask hid the action.

The Drac shook its head. "Be lucky that I'm not sending you to be reconfigured. We have enough on our hands at the moment."

Kobra stiffened. The Drac took notice.

"Is there a problem, 587220?"

Kobra swallowed his pride. "No sir."

The Drac studied him for a few seconds before responding. "I expect next time that you are timelier with your assigned task. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed." The Drac turned on his heel, leaving the two stunned.

"What just happened?" Jet whispered to Kobra.

"I have no idea. Let's find Party and get out of here."

* * *

Chemical wasn't sure how long he had fallen asleep for. All sense of time was gone when locked in a white room. But the clicking of the disengaging lock roused him.

_It can't be time yet. Can it?_ He scrambled to stand as the door opened.

"Good evening, Chemical Skeleton," Korse grinned at his prisoner before stepping aside. Another individual was dragged into the cell by the accompanying S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards, hanging limply in their grip. They threw him facedown to the floor before exiting.

"I figured you two would like to talk before your Extermination. Enjoy."

Chemical looked over the stranger with some trepidation as the door slammed shut. Though it wasn't Laser or Rocket, he figured it had to be another zone runner caught by BL/Ind. After all, he was wearing the standard prison garb that matched everything in this room. It for sure made the stranger's bright red hair stand out.

_But why would they sentence a new prisoner immediately for Extermination?_

A groan came from the stranger as he stirred. Chemical watched as his head lifted.

"Are you all right?" Chemical asked. The prisoner turned his head up in Chemical's direction, a dazed look in his hazel eyes.

"Becca?"

Chemical stiffened at his sister's name. "How do you know that name?"

The new prisoner looked closer at Chemical, studying him as he tried to sit up. "Who are you?"

"I asked the first question." Chemical was wary of this new addition to his room.

"You look like someone I used to know," the red-haired prisoner looked down in his lap.

"What do you mean, 'used to?'"

He looked back at Chemical, sorrow in his eyes. "She's dead."

Chemical grabbed the man by the shirt, pinning him against the wall in his fury.

"How is my sister dead?"

"Your sister?" It was a few moments before realization flashed in the stranger's eyes. "You're Chemical Skeleton?"

"Who are you?" Chemical said the words slowly as he glared at his new roommate.

The stranger kicked at Chemical, hitting him in the upper thigh. Chemical went down on one knee as the prisoner slumped down, clutching his stomach.

"I'm on your side!" the red-haired stranger managed to get out. He lifted his shirt, lightly touching the discoloring bruises all over his torso.

Chemical was furious at the lack of answers he was getting. The stranger noticed.

"Party Poison."

"What?"

"My name," the stranger clarified. "It's Party Poison."

"So you're the leader of the Fabulous Killjoys," Chemical realized. He had remembered back to a previous conversation he had with Laser and Rocket about the most wanted group of zone runners in the area.

"And you're Chemical Skeleton," Party spoke slowly, clutching around his middle. "You do look a lot like her."

"How do you know my sister?" he asked for the third time.

"How you find anyone today, by running into them. Well, she actually found us," Party smiled as he leaned against the wall. He thought back to that morning on the sand dune when Electric tried to steal the disabled Trans-Am. "She really could hold her own out there."

"She did learn from the best," Chemical couldn't help but admit with a half-grin. Party rolled his eyes.

"She was dead-set on finding you," Party continued, "even when everything was pointing at you being dead."

Party looked back down in his lap. "I should've known that she would do something as foolish as try to save me, even when I did give up my own freedom to save her."

"What happened?" Chemical found the question hard to ask. But he needed to know the fate of his baby sister.

"A Drac shot her, straight in the gut." Chemical could see Party's hands grip tightly, the knuckles becoming white as the fingernails dug into the flesh of his palms. "But she was right. There was no way Korse was going to let her run free. Not when they had me."

"You loved her, didn't you?"

Party shook his head once, a lone tear making its way down his cheek. "I can't explain it, but I cared about her. She's was a sister to me. To all the Killjoys."

Chemical studied the distraught form of the most dangerous man in the Zones. He couldn't believe that his sister had caused this kind of emotion from this man, not with the reputation that preceded him.

But now she was gone, ghosted somewhere in the Zones. And people were mourning her. Chemical was amazed that his sister had made an impact on Party Poison's life, even if he had only known her for a short time.

"I'm not going to let you die, Party Poison."

Party looked over at Chemical, confused. "What?"

"I'm going to finish what my sister started. You're getting out of here alive, even if it kills me."


	36. Drowning Lessons

Chapter 36: Drowning Lessons

_ She could feel her body become heavier as she sunk further in the depths of the water. She wasn't sure how exactly she had fallen in. There were no large bodies of water in the desert, and even the oceans had dried up some since the War. The closest shoreline had to be hundreds of miles away. _

_ Nevertheless, she couldn't get her limbs to respond so she could swim to the surface. She looked down, seeing her arms bound around her torso, wrapped in a heavy chain that was dragging her down. Her lungs began to hurt from the lack of air. She twisted and turned, kicked and pulled, striving for freedom. Her body became weaker the longer she struggled, until eventually she gave up. She opened her mouth, her lungs filling with water._

Gerard…Blaze…I'm so sorry…

_ Something was reaching out for her. She wasn't sure if her eyes were deceiving her as she moved towards the embrace of death. Through the daze someone had grabbed hold of the chain. His white outfit made him look like a Draculoid, but yet somehow she knew that he wasn't one. Maybe it had to do with the platinum-colored hair floating around his face, with the occasional streak of red and blue. _

Is that, an angel?

_ Another person grabbed onto her chain, pulling her away from the depths. Through her lidded eyes, she could see a girl clad in the brightest neon pinks and greens, shining through the dark waters. Two blond braids with steaks of dark blue floated around her. They both began to kick up towards the surface, illuminated by a sheet of shimmering light._

_ Something told her that these two were trying to save her. At that moment, Electric was truly scared. The bright light above her grew closer and closer._

I don't want to die! Please don't let me die!

_The bright light filled her eyes as she felt her body go limp…_

* * *

"I think she's starting to come to!"

Electric let her eyelids flutter open. She was in muted darkness, as a pair of deep blue eyes studied her in curiosity. The girl looking down at her grabbed one of the braids hanging behind her shoulder, letting her hands run over them nervously. Pairs of boots scampering across the floor broke into Electric's conscious, as five more pairs of eyes joined the blue ones. Three of them looked familiar.

"Pika-chan?" Techno Beat's almond eyes were shining as she looked down at her injured friend. The familiar faces of Show Pony and Grace also looked down at her in concern.

"Techno, what happened?"

"You were shot, Pika-chan." Techno and Pony slowly helped Electric sit up, only for her to clutch her stomach in pain. Grace quickly hopped on the bed Electric was lying in, curling up next to her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Electric said through gritted teeth, pulling up her shirt. Sure enough, bandages were wrapped around her stomach tightly.

"You're lucky that whoever shot you completely missed your vital organs." A platinum-haired young man crouched down, checking the bandages around Electric's stomach. "But you did lose a lot of blood. I think I was able to stop it for the time being. I also gave you some counterfeit BL/Ind pain medication I had in my possession. You might get a little dizzy, but it won't get you addicted as easily."

Electric looked at the man's face. He looked so much like the man in the dream. But now she could see his face clearly, looking at the soft grey eyes that were smiling at her. His face made him look at least five years younger than she was, but she figured he was about her age.

"Thank you, whoever you are."

"Way to go, being all rude and stuff, Digital," the braided blond girl spoke up, slapping him in the shoulder.

"Well we haven't had a chance, had we, Neon?" he glared at the unfamiliar girl before looking back at Electric. "My name is Digital Ghost, and this is my associate Neon Paint." The girl waved.

"They were on their way here to help me with that USB drive you found," Techno spoke up.

"You're a lucky girl, Electric," Digital added. "We were planning on leaving you with whoever needed my help, and thankfully it's the same people you're running with."

Electric smiled, only to frown as she noticed some absent people. "Where's everyone else?"

"I'm right here, sunshine." Electric turned to see Dr. D sitting a bit away from everyone, by his radio equipment, near where an army cot had been set up. And sitting up in that bed was…

"What happened to Frank? And where's Ray and Mikey?" she asked. Techno and Pony looked down at their feet, as Grace began to silently sob. Electric could feel her stomach start to drop as she saw their responses.

"We were ambushed," Fun Ghoul admitted, slowly walking over to the group assembled around Electric's cot.

"You shouldn't be moving!" Digital scolded, pulling Ghoul down to sit next to Electric. "You're going to ruin all the medical handiwork I've done."

"You're just as bad as Ray," Frank chuckled. Electric giggled at the thought.

"Who are you guys talking about?" Neon looked between Ghoul and Electric. "We don't know anyone's real names around here."

"I guess you two deserve to know, since you saved Electric's—I mean, Becca's—life today," Ghoul replied. "I'm Frank. Grace is sitting next to Electric." The girl nodded, squeezing Electric's hand.

"I'm Mika," Techno shyly admitted after Pony nudged her.

"And mine's Ricky," Pony replied.

"Jerod," Digital introduced himself.

"And mine's Meta," Neon smiled slightly.

"There were three others with us as well, but…" Ghoul started to say, only to cut himself off. Electric looked at him in concern.

"What happened to Ray and Mikey?"

Techno crouched down in front of Electric, grabbing onto her hands. "A group of Draculoids ambushed them as they were on the way to save Party Poison and you. They were ghosted on Route Guano."

The fear that had been building in her stomach exploded, causing her to vomit slightly. Techno sat down behind her, rubbing Electric's back as Pony got a wet rag from the kitchen.

"No," Electric found herself repeating the word over and over as tears flowed down her cheeks. Techno hugged her around the shoulders as Ghoul placed a hand on her leg in a sign of comfort. Pony eventually returned from the kitchen, wiping away the grime, tears and vomit from Electric's face. Neon and Digital moved to sit by Dr. D as the sad intimate moment played out.

"They all must be close," Neon whispered, sliding into the booth. She saw Dr. D wipe a tear away.

"They are. But they're all they got nowadays." Dr. D looked over at the two of them. "I'm assumin' the same goes with you two."

"It's like a brother/sister thing, you know?" Digital replied, pulling out a scratched laptop from out of his bag. "You learn to rely on one another." Neon nodded in agreement.

It was a strange silence that filled the diner for the next hour or so. Digital and Neon watched the group of Killjoys—plus Techno—sit around Electric as she sobbed over the loss of her two friends. Dr. D continued to field in reports from Killjoys all around the Zones from his remote station. Digital got to work on his laptop, working on the USB drive in question. Neon found herself bored out of her mind as she undid are redid her braids at least twice.

"Do you know if you have any spray paint?" she asked Dr. D as he stared up another song.

"Not sure. I think there might be some in Party Poison's room." Dr. D found saying that name hard to do, but managed to say it. Neon nodded, walking towards the room Dr. D pointed out. Within minutes she had collected an armful of cans and an electric lantern, before walking out the front door of the diner. The group of Killjoys watched her in confusion, punctuated by the occasional sniffle from Electric.

"What is she doing, Digital?" Grace asked.

"She's bored," he replied, not even looking up from the laptop. "This is pretty common with her, though."

"She paints?" Electric inquired.

"Paints, draws, creates, whatever. She's an artist first and foremost, and a zone runner second."

Electric slowly got up, minding the bandages around her stomach. She wanted to see what Digital was talking about. The other Killjoys helped her as she faltered for a second, but eventually she made it to the front door under her own power.

"Want us to come outside, Pika-chan?"

Electric shook her head. "I'll be right back in."

Neon didn't even look up as the door jingled, immersed in whatever she was painting on the side of the building in the light of the lantern. Electric watched her for a while, as a multitude of colors were sprayed over one another.

"It looks good," Electric replied when she noticed Neon take a larger break from her work. Neon jumped, not knowing someone was watching her.

"What are you doing out here?" the words rushed out a bit harsher than Neon would've liked.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Electric turned to walk back inside.

"Becca, wait." Neon grabbed onto Electric's shoulder gently. "I'm sorry. I just never have an audience when I paint. And I didn't want to intrude on everything that's happened tonight."

Electric nodded, causing Neon to smile shyly. "So you're an artist, huh?"

"Yeah," Neon admitted. "Of course, that's hard to do nowadays, with Better Living trying to wipe away everything. No color, no individuality, nothing." Neon turned to spray something else onto the wall as she continued. "My goal is to paint up the cities, color all those plain walls. You can't live without color."

Electric smiled as Neon backed away from the wall, nodding in satisfaction. "So what do you think?"

Electric looked at the wall. Painted over the previous random words and doodles was a collage of bright neon colors mixed with primary ones, swirling together into one big kaleidoscope of color. On top were different insignias. Electric could point out the four from the Fabulous Killjoys; Party Poison's pill with an X underneath done in yellow, the Kobra Kid's cobra done in red, Fun Ghoul's crazy smiley face done in green, and Jet Star's star done in blue. She could see hers as well, the heart with the lightning bolt, also done in yellow. But three of them she looked unfamiliar, which she pointed out to Neon.

"The paint splatters is mine." Neon pointed towards a circle of random splashes of color that stood boldly over the background. "The ghost looking thing is Jerod's." it was painted in white.

"What about that one?" Electric pointed to a circle with bright stripes lying over what almost looked like a record.

"I saw that Techno—Mika I think her name was—didn't have one. That just kind of came out of nowhere."

"I like it. And I think she'll like it too."

Neon smiled.

The front door slammed open as Grace ran out, followed by Show Pony.

"Electric! They figured it out!"

"Figured what out, honey?"

"The drive you found," Pony clarified. "Digital and Techno cracked it."

The four of them ran back inside as quick as they could, joining the group standing around Digital's laptop. He was beaming, despite the glow of the laptop. Techno was sitting next to him, her eyes quickly looking at the image on the screen.

"Now that we're all here, I can begin." Digital cleared his throat. "Becca, what your parents created was a transmission-quality message, one that works exclusively like the daily thought adjustment patterns. All they had to do was upload this on the main server, and it would be in the circulation of the patterns that Better Living uses."

"And what's even better," Techno continued, "the actual video message looks and feels exactly like the real ones. But instead of working with the medication they hand out, which you know I have first-hand experience of, it works against it. It'll help spread the truth about Better Living."

"Your father was a technical genius, Becca." Digital added.

Electric felt a surge of pride build inside her. She could fulfill what her parents were planning on doing.

They could start the destruction of Better Living.

"Hold on, motor babies," Dr. D spoke up, turning something up on the radio. "We got a hot transmission coming in from our favorite local news station."

The transmission fizzled in and out, but they could still make out the words. _"Breaking news this morning from the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W security team. In conjunction with Better Living Industries and the government, two of the Zones most wanted criminals have been apprehended and are scheduled for public Extermination today at noon. _

_ "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W has confirmed to Fact News that one of the criminals is the zones' most wanted and the suspected leader of the rebels known as the Fabulous Killjoys, codenamed Party Poison. The other scheduled is the zone runner codenamed Chemical Skeleton, the suspected son of the criminals known as Toxic Killer and Rouge Angel, who seven years ago escaped before their public Extermination, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 people. _

_ "We will provide more information as this story continues to unfold. This is Fact News Radio; the only news radio."_

Everyone was frozen as the transmission sunk in. It was a few minutes before the small voice of Grace broke the imposed silence.

"What do we do now?"

Electric crouched down in front of her, grabbing onto her hands.

"We're going to save them. Before they're Exterminated."


	37. The Sharpest Lives

_A/N: Hey everyone! Just a quick update on things. One, FanFiction has finally fixed my account, so now I am getting everyone's reviews, new chapters, etc. So I promise to get back to everyone in a timely manner._

_As I say that, we're getting into the homestretch of this story. One last slow chapter here before things start getting crazy for our heroes. I apologize if the quality of these chapters hasn't been so great; I haven't had the chance to write ahead as I liked, especially with college graduation looming in a month. (0.0) But on with the story._

_Oh, and I'm really looking forward to seeing My Chem on Sunday. I guess the show sold out, so it should be rockin'!_

_Stay fabulous, Killjoys!_

Chapter 37: The Sharpest Lives

The stars were starting to go out as Electric made her way up the roof. The sky was becoming purple as dawn approached. She found herself leaning against the E on the sign above the doorway, looking longingly at the distance. It had been a couple of hours since they heard the transmission from Fact News about the impending Extermination.

Plans were being finalized down below in the diner. After realizing that they had left the motorbike at the motel and that it was desperately needed, Digital and Pony had decided to go get it. Techno had taken over research duty from Digital, using her knowledge of Battery City to plan their attack on Better Living, as well as contact some of the rebels in the city to assist them. Neon had gone to practice some shooting out in back. Electric had joined her for a bit, but her body was still sore from being shot and the emotional rollercoaster ride she had been on in the past six hours.

Electric sighed, looking off to the edges of Zone 4. She had promised Dr. Death Defying that she would alert him if and when she saw Pony and Digital on the horizon. They had to leave as soon as possible in order to make it to Battery City, if they wanted any chance to save their friends.

It was the first time in hours that Electric had some time to herself. Sure, she needed her friends more than ever now, after such a traumatizing experience. But she still felt like a failure.

_After all, if I hadn't gotten caught by Korse, none of this would be happening again. I keep screwing everything up._ She let her chin rest on her hands, letting dry sobs course through her body.

"Pika-chan? Are you up here?"

Electric heard soft footsteps approach. She composed herself as best as she could before Techno stood next to her, leaning against the E.

"Everything's ready to go. We're just waiting on Digital Ghost and Show Pony to make their way back here," Techno explained.

"That's good," Electric replied absently.

"There's something wrong, isn't there?"

Electric looked up at Techno, who had her head propped up with her hand, eyebrows raised.

"I may only have known you for a few days, Becca, but I can tell something is driving you nuts."

Electric was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe that Techno had actually used her real name, not the nickname she had grown to love.

"Is this about Party Poison?"

Electric nodded, looking directly at her friend. "It's my fault he's going to be Exterminated tomorrow. And my brother too. If I had only done something differently…"

"You can't think like that." Techno grabbed onto Electric's upper arms. "What happened, happened. But at least we have the opportunity to make things right now. We can get back your brother and our friend, and maybe stop Better Living in the process."

Electric looked at her friend, the girl they took from Battery City days ago. Who would've thought the quiet girl that had attacked her at the radio tower would turn into the one person who could put some common sense into her brain?

"Thanks, Mika-chan."

Techno smiled. "I like the sound of that; Mika-chan."

"Well, I am letting you get away with calling me Pika-chan, you know." They both giggled as they watched the sky brighten even more. Blues were starting to mix in with the purple as the sun was close to rising.

"It's so beautiful out here," Techno said after a while. "You never got to see anything like this in Battery City."

"It's nothing impressive, mind you," Electric smiled.

Techno gave her a slight push. "You know what I mean."

"So what was it like living in Battery City?" Electric asked. She had been curious since the day they met.

"Very monotonous. You would do the same thing, day in and day out. Go to school, do what was asked of you, make sure that you took your medication and the like. I was so happy the day I met up with the rebels of Battery City."

Electric looked as Techno gazed off towards the west, where the darkness was retreating in the light of the dawn . "For the longest time I wasn't taking the drugs. I found them hindering with my schoolwork. I was much more productive having emotions. But with not taking my pills, I realized how alone I was.

"The pills put you in this daze where you don't need human contact. I guess that's how I was able to grow up barely seeing my parents or my brothers. I learned to fend for myself."

She snorted in amusement. "Imagine the looks on their faces if they saw their only daughter as a zone runner. "

"You know being a zone runner isn't exactly the safest career choice." Electric's gaze landed on the bandages poking through the hole in Techno's sleeve where she was shot earlier in the day.

"I know. And I still have a lot to learn about how to survive out here. But I guess I was lucky to have you and the Killjoys to help me out."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"For what?"

"For more or less kidnapping you out of Battery City a few days ago."

"I was past it the moment I met Dr. Death Defying. It's been a dream to work with him."

The sound of a few rocks skittering across the rooftop interrupted the conversation. They turned, blasters aimed and ready to fire.

"Whoa, chillax, it's just me," Neon replied, walking over. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"It's a habit," Electric shrugged. "Done with shooting?"

"Don't want to waste any more batteries. We're going to need all we have. Oh, I have something for you." Electric raised her eyebrows as Neon dug around in her bag. "I figured you wanted this fixed before we went into battle."

Electric took the mask Party had made for her. Sure enough, Neon had fixed it. The crack that had formed was glued shut, the paint touched up.

"Meta, I don't know how.."

"Then don't say anything. We all need to hide our identities, especially with what were about to do. Speaking of which…" Neon returned to dig in her bag, pulling out two more masks similar to the one Electric had. She handed one to Techno. "I really liked that mask, so I made masks for Mika, Jerod and myself."

Techno looked at her mask. It was painted lavender. Five stripes sat diagonally over the right eye, each painted an individual color-red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. Techno quickly slid it over her eyes.

"Looks good," Electric commented. She turned to look at Neon, who had slid her own over her eyes. It was painted bright neon green, with neon pink around the eyes and neon orange around the outside edge. "Same with you," she added.

"Thanks." Neon smiled.

The sound of a horn in the distance caused the three girls to look out at the horizon. In a cloud of dust they could see the body of the jeep making its way back towards the diner, accompanied with what they were sure was the motorbike. The front door of the diner opened down below them, as Ghoul, Grace and Dr. D stepped outside. Ghoul looked up at the girls, his mask sitting on top of his head.

"Are you ready for a firefight?"

Electric watched as the sun began to break through the horizon, bringing new light to the day. She looked at each of her friends before smiling. "What do you think?"

_It's now or never._


	38. SCARECROW

Chapter 38: S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W

The night had been way too long for Jet Star and the Kobra Kid. It had taken a while to find out where Party Poison had been imprisoned, since Draculoids weren't the most sociable of creatures. They heard that Party had been locked up with Electric's brother, Chemical Skeleton, much to their surprise and luck. This was going to make their jobs a lot easier.

Unfortunately for them, the Dracs they were impersonating weren't scheduled for anything high-priority that night. There was no way they could get close to Party or Chemical to break them out. So Kobra had fitfully spent the remainder of the night calculating an escape attempt, while Jet tried to get some sleep in the bunk assigned to their Draculoid identities.

The sun had barely gone up in the sky before the morning alarm had gone off, signaling a new day.

"So what exactly is our plan again?" Jet asked as they walked down the hall to the morning briefing. All Draculoids were obligated to attend the meeting, especially this morning's. After all, it was better than the alternative: mandatory Reconfiguration, which was rumored to be a nasty process. "We'll wait until they're escorting Party and Chemical out of the holding cells. I figure we can blend into the group that will accompany them. And then we'll make our move once were out of the building and in the garage."

"And how exactly are we going to 'make our move?'"

"I'm still figuring out that minor detail."

Kobra saw Jet shake his head as they made it to the group of assembled Draculoids, immersed in idle talk. It was a few minutes before the number one Draculoid entered the room, ending the chatter.

"As all of you know by now, one of the Killjoys is in our custody at the moment, sentenced for Extermination today at noon, along with one of our more long-term prisoners. I need you all to be on high alert for any sign of an attack. While S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W hasn't heard anything, that doesn't mean something might happen, especially with prisoners this high of a risk. Any questions?"

Silence filled the room.

"Keep yourselves armed at all times, and shoot on sight anyone who isn't affiliated with Better Living or S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W. Remember, the aftermath is secondary."

The Draculoids assembled nodded in consent.

"Everyone is dismissed. Except for you two," the Draculoid pointed at Kobra and Jet. Kobra could feel chills go down his spine. He saw Jet stiffen next to him.

"I've decided on how I can punish you two for taking your time on a mission," the Draculoid looked at each one of them as soon as the room cleared. Kobra could've sworn that the Drac was trying to figure out the identity under the mask. "Since you two seem to have all the time in the world, I'm sure you wouldn't mind watching over our two subjects scheduled for Rehabilitation today. Would you?"

"No sir," Kobra said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

"Good. Report to Cell Block C immediately. I'll send someone when the labs are ready. Dismissed."

"Now what do we do?" Jet hissed once they were left alone.

_That's a good question_, Kobra bitterly thought.

* * *

Laser Shot barely slept the night before. He didn't mind being thrown in a plain white cell, away from his two friends. No, he figured he could survive that. He had, after all, survived three days in isolation, in the same condition.

It was the beatings that were getting to him.

It just wasn't once that his Draculoid guard had decided to take out its frustration out on him. Laser figured out after the third or fourth beating that he must have pissed off this specific Draculoid in some way shape or form.

So Laser lay on his cot, nursing the newest bruises dotting his body to the best of his abilities. His joints were becoming stiff and sore, and he just wished he could sleep, even for five minutes. But every time he fell asleep, it seemed like that Drac just came in for more.

_Hope Rocket isn't getting this special treatment._

He heard the lock disengage, the door opening. Sighing, he sat up on his cot, waiting for the next beating to start.

But this time, two Draculoids stepped into the cell. The newest Draculoid looked particularly thin, as its issued white blazer and white pants hung loosely off of its frame. Its body language was signaling that it didn't want to be here.

_Maybe I can use this to my advantage…_

The original guard grabbed onto Laser's hair, cutting off his thoughts as he was dragged to his feet. "This is the rat you get to take to the lab later," it said, smugly. It threw him back to the floor roughly. Laser wasn't sure, but he could've sworn that the new Drac stiffened.

"Are you sure you can do that?" it asked, concern dotting it's voice. _Strange for something programmed not to feel anything._

The first Drac pointed around the room. "No cameras," it merely stated. "What Korse doesn't know can't hurt him." The Drac cocked it's head to the side. "Are you sure you're okay? You can always go down to the lab and give you a suppressor until they can Reconfigure you."

"I said I was fine earlier," the second Drac growled.

The first put its hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm just giving you your options. But I suppose you don't want to go down for Reconfiguring today. Considering what's going to happen." It turned on its heel to leave the cell.

"Remember, no cameras," it said before leaving the cell, and its two confused occupants, behind.

The both stared at each other for a brief moment before all hell broke loose. Sensing his chance to escape, Laser darted up off the floor. The Drac, stunned, tried to reach for its white blaster. But in its surprise, it wasn't able to get to it fast enough. Laser's hand grabbed onto the blaster, pulling it out and aiming it at the Drac, ready to fire.

"Wait, wait!" the Drac pleaded, swiping its mask off of its head. The defined features and swept-back blond hair couldn't hide the identity of the man that stood in front of Laser.

_What the fuck? The Kobra Kid, a Draculoid?_

* * *

Chemical couldn't get himself to fall asleep after his rough meeting with Party Poison. It's not every day that you accost the famous leader of the Fabulous Killjoys and live to tell the tale. Party had fallen asleep pretty quickly after their short talk, curled up on the lone cot in the room.

Chemical thought back to the promise he made Party: _I'm not going to let you die._

_ How the hell am I going to prevent that from happening?_

He was so immersed in his thoughts that he barely heard the door of the cell open. Party began to wake as two sets of colored clothing were thrown into the cell, before the door was locked again.

"What's happening?" Party sleepily mumbled. Chemical went over to the nearest bundle of clothing, inspecting each individual piece.

This stack specifically had a pair of black stonewashed jeans and a filthy-looking black shirt with a faded print of a human ribcage, almost anatomically correct. The ink was a sick-looking combination of green and brown, with the occasional splash of purple for good measure. A black leather jacket with green piping was also in the mix, with an American flag patch sewn on the right arm. It was dirty and filthy. Finishing up the bundle were a bunch of assorted accessories: a pair of scuffed black boots, a few bandannas in varying shades of green, a belt and a shoulder holster with its blaster missing.

"What the fuck is this?" Chemical asked as he finished looking at the ensemble. By this time, Party had woken up completely and quickly went through his own stack of clothes.

"Those fuckers," he muttered.

"What?"

Party looked over at Chemical. "Korse is making this into a spectacle. A fucking public spectacle."

Chemical looked down at his old clothes in his hands. Death was only a few hours away now if they were forcing them to change into the clothing that signified them as Killjoys.

_How the hell am I going to save you, Party? For Becca's sake?_

* * *

The roads down Route Guano were quiet, a little too quiet from a security standpoint. The monitors all looked the same, showing the expansive desert outside the city from different views. Not a thing was moving on any of the screens; no sign of life. Of course, the Dracs monitoring the security feed could care less. The less they had to deal with today, the better.

That's exactly what Digital Ghost wanted to happen. Techno Beat had gotten him in contact with someone in the city who was able to hack into the security wiring. A simple loop of the same image would give the group enough cover as a van, a jeep, and a motorbike sped towards the underground tunnels of Battery City.

And on that motorbike, zooming ahead of the rest of the caravan, was a determined Electric Revenge.

_Gerard…Blaze…hold on. I'm going to get you out._

_ I promise._


	39. To The End

_A/N: Hello my fellow Killjoys! I just wanted to apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I didn't get much writing done this past weekend due to homework and other obligations, and going to the My Chemical Romance concert last night! My ears are still ringing from the show! Seriously, best concert I've ever been to, even if we were all dying by the time the show was over! (the air conditioner couldn't handle the sold-out crowd, and it was 90 earlier in the day, so yeah) I'm surprised I actually got a decent spot (I was like 10 or so people back from the stage near Ray), only thing I could complain is that I couldn't really see Frank (he really is that short). Of course, I could've stalked him at the Walmart on the other side of town...long story. I just really hope the guys got the masks I made them!_

_I promise though, the next few chapters are going to be very action-packed as we move to the finale of this story (yes, it is coming to an end). Hope you're all ready for the ride!_

_Stay fabulous, Killjoys!_

Chapter 39: To The End

Laser Shot just stood there, the white blaster he stole becoming heavier in his grip.

"You're…you're the Kobra Kid…" he managed to finally say.

"Do you mind not holding that blaster at my face?" Kobra pushed the blaster's barrel away from his body.

"Oh, sorry." Laser lowered the blaster.

"Thank you," Kobra sighed, before looking at the young man in front of him. "How do you know my name?"

"Who doesn't know your name? You're one of the most wanted people in the Zones!"

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Kobra hissed.

"Sorry, but I just can't believe I'm standing in front of a Killjoy. An actual fucking Killjoy!" Laser's gaze landed on the all-white ensemble the Killjoy was wearing. "Why are you dressed like a Drac though?"

"It's a long story that I don't have time to explain right now."

"Can you at least tell me why you're in here in the first place?"

Kobra sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was hoping on breaking out my brother out of here…"

"Party Poison's in here?" Laser interrupted incredulously.

"What did I say about being loud?"

"Sorry."

Kobra shook his head. "You're really something, you know that?"

"I'm sorry, but you don't expect one of your heroes to exactly crash on you while you're in prison. Especially when they're dressed as a Drac."

"Good point." Kobra looked out the open door of the cell, his eye catching a glimpse of a security camera in the hallway outside. "Look, I got to get back out there so S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W thinks everything is okay."

"Are you going to help us get out?"

Kobra's eyebrows raised in confusion. "Us?"

"My friends, Rocket Revolver and Chemical Skeleton? Are you going to help us get out of here before they kill us?"

"You know Chemical Skeleton?"

Laser looked a bit taken aback by the force Kobra asked the question. "Well, yeah. We were cellmates for the longest time. They're going to kill him today."

"Along with my brother, I know. Look," Kobra looked back out at that camera, wincing at how much time he was wasting in the cell talking. "I'll see what I can come up with when I talk to Jet Star…"

"Jet Star's in here too?"

Kobra nodded. "Yes, he is. But we can't do anything, not until they call you down for Rehabilitation. We'll make our move then."

"What if we're too late to save Chemical?"

Kobra slid the Drac mask back on his face. "I promise we won't be."

* * *

The motorbike slid to a stop in front of the tunnel opening outside Battery City, kicking up the dust on the asphalt. Electric slid the visor on her helmet as she turned around, waiting for the other two vehicles to reach her.

"So everything is set into motion?" She shouted at the jeep as it parked.

Neon Paint let the jeep idle. "From what I could make out from all of the techno mumbo-jumbo going on back there between those two, I seriously hope so." She thumbed at Digital and Techno, sitting in the back seat with multiple portable computers in their laps.

Digital punched her in the shoulder from the seat behind her. "I'm sorry that you're so computer illiterate, Neon. I truly am."

Neon stuck her tongue out at him.

"Very mature, Neon."

"Oh, shut up."

"Wow, they're worse than Kobra and me," Ghoul commented as he jumped out the side of Dr. D's van, letting a brief smile cross his face. It was only a few seconds before he remembered last night and his face fell.

Electric saw the switch of emotion cross Ghoul's face. "It's going to be all right." She gave him a small squeeze on his hand, causing him to look at her. "At least you're going to be able to save Party Poison."

"You're right," Ghoul placed another silly grin on his face as he slid his Frankenstein monster mask over his face. "There's time to cry later. Not that I cry or anything like that."

"Sure, Ghoul." Electric teased, only to get a small shove from Ghoul.

"Electric, I hate to ruin this tender moment," Digital interrupted, "but we really need to get going if we want this to time out correctly."

Electric nodded as everyone assembled around her. "All right then. It's currently 9 a.m. according to Digital's time. We know they're moving Party and Chemical around 10:30, so we need to get to them before that point. Techno, is the distraction set?"

Techno nodded. "I sent the word out this morning on the radio before we left. Hopefully whoever got my message on the message boards heard it and mobilized something."

"Okay. At least we'll have Dr. D and Grace outside the city broadcasting on the city's frequency. That's ready to go at least?"

Techno and Digital nodded.

"Good." Electric turned to look at Grace, who was sitting on the floor of the van. "Are you ready to help us today?"  
Grace shook her head up and down, letting her brown curls bounce. "I'll do whatever Dr. Death Defying asks me to do. Like you said."

"Good girl," Electric smiled before turning to Dr. D. "Are you sure you're able to drive, even with your legs, well…"

"Sunshine, there are things I can do that would blow you away," Dr. D chuckled. "A little bit of driving never hurt nobody."

"I'll take your word for it then," Electric smiled. "Then is everyone else ready to do what we need to do?"

Everyone else nodded. Show Pony climbed into the jeep's passenger seat as Neon started it back up.

Ghoul quickly grabbed onto Electric's arm as she repositioned herself on Kobra's bike. "What about you, Electric? You really shouldn't be doing so much moving around, considering your injury."

Electric looked at Ghoul, finding his eyes from behind his mask. "I took some of those pain killers Digital had. They may be counterfeit, but they at least knocked down the pain to a manageable level."

"I just don't want you getting addicted to those things. They're dangerous if you do."

Electric nodded. She understood what Ghoul was saying. Even if they were pain killers, they numbed much more than pain. They dulled the senses, emotions; which for a Killjoy was suicidal.

Especially a Killjoy set on breaking her brother and good friend out of a maximum-security facility in the middle of Battery City in the middle of the morning.

"I'll be fine, Frank." She smiled with her eyes before slamming the visor back down. The motorbike roared to life as Electric made her way into the tunnel, Ghoul hanging on behind her. The jeep followed.

It had begun.


	40. Skylines and Turnstiles

Chapter 40: Skylines and Turnstiles

"You think they're going to be okay on their own?" Neon spoke up, watching Electric and Ghoul take a sharp left turn as they exited the tunnel.

"They'll be fine," Show Pony replied, smiling under his helmet. "There's a reason Ghoul's a Fabulous Killjoy. And Electric, she can take care of herself."

"If you say so…" Neon muttered as she continued down the street. They barely made it a few blocks before a black car began tail them. It was only a few seconds later when white beams began to flash past their heads.

"Man, are they quick!" Neon commented. Digital and Techno took position in the back seat and began to fire back on their pursuers. Techno shouted for joy when one of her shots hit the front tire of the car, slowing it down. A shot to the engine by Digital disabled it in the middle of the street.

"Well, that's one down," Digital checked the charge on his gun before pulling out a few batteries from under the seat. He placed them in his pockets.

"And they'll be many more to go, I'm sure," Pony finished. "Speak of the devil…"

Two more black cars screeched out onto the street 20 blocks ahead of them.

"So you wanna play chicken, boys?" Neon smiled, pulling out her own neon painted blaster. "Let's play chicken!"

She floored the accelerator, pushing the jeep's speed close to 80 miles an hour as the two black cars zoomed closer. She moved her blaster to her left hand, aiming it straight at the car approaching towards the left side. Pony, sensing what she was doing, did the same with his own pink blaster, aiming at the other car. Digital and Techno braced themselves in the backseat for the carnage, ducking down behind the seats.

Five blocks out, the Draculoids in the attacking cars began to shoot. Neon and Pony returned fire; their shots hitting the front windshields of the cars, creating cracked spider webs of glass near impossible to see out of. A few shots as the cars passed by on each side of the jeep finished the deal, as the smell of burning rubber filled the air. Neon turned around, smiling at the disabled cars and their flat tires.

"So where exactly is this cavalry of ours?" Neon directed the question to Techno, who was sliding back onto the seat. Another couple black cars began to chase them as they made a hard left turn onto a side street, nearly ending up on the sidewalk.

It was a few seconds before Techno answered. "There!" she pointed out in front of them, seeing a car turn onto the same street they were on. It was the same make and model as the cars pursuing them, only it was white. Two of the occupants were sitting on the window ledges, shooting at the black cars pursuing the group. The car roared past them, towards the pursuing cars.

The rebels of Battery City had come to the rescue.

"Techno Beat? Techno Beat, come in!" The portable radio next to Techno squawked to life, nearly scaring the girl. She fumbled for a second before speaking.

"This is she."

"We were starting to wonder when you were going to come back." The tinny-sounding voice chuckled, causing Techno to smile.

"Didn't you hear, Spatter Insanity? I fell in with the Killjoys."

"So I hear." Splatter chuckled. "But we figured you at least would say goodbye before you left. You should know there hasn't been a better DJ in the city."

She saw Digital out of the corner of her eye urge her to finish up the conversation. "I'm flattered, but let's catch up later. I just saw Cyber Monster's crew pass by not even a minute ago."

"Good. There's plenty more where that came from," Splatter replied. "Consider your request approved."

"Thanks Splatter. And make sure you have everyone turned into frequency 109 in case anything comes up."

"Once we finish getting the towers switched over, I'll let everyone know. Splatter Insanity out."

"Sounds like everything's set into motion," Techno replied.

Neon nodded. "How close are we to your drop-off point?"

"Only a few blocks from here. We'll take the underground emergency tunnels to get into the labs. It'll be the easiest."

"You sure you have everything ready to go, then?" Pony turned around.

Digital looked up from his seat, where he was throwing his portable computers into a brown rucksack. "The program is still on the USB, which Techno has in her possession. I made a few small tweaks to make sure it can get past some of the more severe firewalls that I know BL/Ind has in place. We just need to get it into the main server and everything should be golden."

"Pull over here," Techno pointed off to the right. Neon pulled off the street into an alleyway that barely gave them any room to open the doors. Techno and Digital hopped out of the jeep, grabbing their supplies.

"You two be safe, you hear?" Pony replied. "Aim for their faces if you have to."

They nodded as they ran towards the manhole cover. It was a minute or so before they both disappeared into the sewers.

"Ready to rendezvous?" Pony asked.

Neon nodded as she backed the jeep out of the alleyway, making a spectacular 180° turn before gunning to down the street.

* * *

If Electric could've, she would've marveled at the tallest buildings as she passed by them on the motorbike. But she had more important things on her mind at the moment. It didn't help that they were being pursued by a black car that was gaining on them quickly. Ghoul was doing the best he could to deter it, shooting behind him, but none of his shots were hitting their targets.

"Hang on!" Electric shouted as she turned the bike to the right, into an alleyway too narrow for the car to follow. She continued through to follow the maze of alleyways, silently praying she didn't end up in a dead end. She had a feeling that soon there would be Draculoids on motorbikes pursuing them soon enough, and she didn't want to be cornered that easily.

Not when she was this close.

The fates were with her as she saw the alley open back up into the street. Electric put more throttle into the bike, nearly doing a wheelie as she turned onto the street. The wide expanse of Better Living Industries loomed in front of her, the numerous windows reflecting the filtered sunshine. It was a minute or so before they were speeding towards the main entrance.

Electric could feel the adrenaline begin to kick in the closer she got to BL/Ind headquarters. Good thing, as white laser beams began to rain down on top of them.

"Shit!" she shouted, trying to avoid them. Ghoul began shooting again, but he couldn't get any clear kill shots to knock them down. She could feel the lasers graze by, leaving burn marks on her jacket and the helmet. Ghoul grunted in pain as a few grazed past him, but he tried to make the best out of the situation.

Electric barely had time to react as a white beam hit the front tire of the bike as they approached the cobblestone steps in front. The bike shuttered violently before hitting a step, pitching the two passengers forward and into the plate glass windows of the atrium of Better Living Industries in a spectacular crash.


	41. Cubicles

Chapter 41: Cubicles

"I'm surprised that there aren't any Dracs down here," Digital commented as they turned around another bend in the tunnel system. The artificial light cast most of the space in shadow as they ran in and out of the beams of light.

"They're supposed to be used for evacuation purposes. Only those with high level clearance know these exist." Techno continued down the tunnel, blaster raised in front of her.

"So you know these because…"

"My father," she mumbled. Digital turned to look at her.

"You mean he's…"

"No, he's not with the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W division. He's one of the biggest sales representatives for the company. He leads all the promotion, all the propaganda."

Digital stopped running, turning to look at the purple-clad zone runner. He gave her a slight hug, causing her to look at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Is that why you're doing this?" Digital asked. "To defy your old man?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But whatever the reason, I knew that I couldn't be the daughter he wanted. I never wanted to grow up and work for this company, be stuck in some monochromatic desk without any emotion. Emotions are what makes us, us. You can't take that away from people, no matter what."

Digital smiled. "You're pretty wise for being so young."

"Comes from being the top student in Battery City, I guess."

"Well, it's their loss and our gain. Now let's go and crash the cemetery gates, shall we?"

Techno nodded, gripping Electric's USB in her hand as they continued down the tunnels.

They eventually made it to a door set at the end of the tunnel. It took a few quick seconds for an upgraded Vend-a-Hack to crack the digital lock on the door, allowing them entrance into the underground laboratories of Better Living.

And into the clutches of five Draculoids standing on the other side of the door.

* * *

Jet Star couldn't believe how the circumstance of their situation had changed. Barely five minutes into what he assumed was going to be the situation that blew their cover did he see the Kobra Kid running towards him, Drac mask askew and excited at what had taken place in the cell of the prisoner he was supposedly watching. Jet quickly confirmed that it was indeed the friend of Kobra's prisoner in the cell he was guarding.

It took some quick talking and passing messages along with one another to form a plan. Of course, to anyone watching the security footage, it looked like any other shift, with Dracs walking in and out of the cells at random times. It was pretty well known among Dracs about what actually happened to captured rebels. After all, if Korse could get away with his "interrogations" in the cells, couldn't they take advantage of the same benefit?

Jet had barely finished finalizing plans with Kobra before two more Draculoids approached the cells, each grasping a pair of steel handcuffs.

"All right you two, step aside," the lead Drac replied, pushing Kobra and Jet out of the way of the doors they were guarding. Jet took a quick glance at the clock on the wall.

_9:45! Shit, they're moving them early!_

"Are you sure?" Kobra voiced Jet's thoughts in a disguised monotone drawl. "I thought they weren't moving them until closer to the Extermination."

"Change of plans. There has been an elevated number of attacks on S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W patrols in the city. The public Extermination has been moved forward in time due to these attacks. Therefore, Korse has ordered that the two subjects scheduled for Rehabilitation be moved immediately."

The doors slid open, much to the surprise its' inhabitants. Jet watched as the Drac by his cell walked forward, blaster raised in one hand, handcuffs hanging in the other.

"Time to go," it said. Rocket backed away, only to end up cornered, literally. Jet nodded to Kobra before entering the cell after the Drac, pulling out the white blaster in his possession.

"I don't think so," Jet replied, removing the monotone disguise in his voice. The Draculoid turned around, only to receive a laser straight through the brain. It fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. The sound of another blaster discharging signaled the same fate in the cell next door.

"Now what do we do?" Rocket asked, looking at the dead Drac at his feet. Jet quickly picked up the blaster the Drac had, passing it to Rocket. He slid it into the waistband of his pants.

"Turn around," Jet ordered, grabbing onto the handcuffs. Rocket's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why?"

"Do you trust me?"

Rocket nodded.

"Then turn around."

Sighing, he did. Jet slid them on, barely locking them. Rocket fumbled with them for a second before haphazardly holding onto them.

"We need to make it look like you're on your way to Rehabilitation. It'll get us through the building easier."

Rocket nodded as Jet lightly gripped his arm, leading him out of the cell. Kobra and Laser joined them, Laser in the same predicament as Rocket.

"Let's go, before someone notices something's wrong," Kobra hissed.

* * *

Pain was all that Electric felt as she slid the helmet off. She was thankful that she was wearing it, for she nearly landed on her head as she crashed through the glass. Most of it had shattered upon impact, but a few jagged pieces were sticking out of her arms as she slowly got up. She pulled them out, wincing in pain, as she crawled over to Ghoul.

"Fun Ghoul, are you okay?" she gently shook him. He groaned as he stirred, mask askew.

"What happened?" his green eyes were out of focus. Electric winced as her eyes fell on a nasty gash across his forehead that was bleeding and dripping down his face.

"Come on, we got to go." She pulled out her blaster as she grabbed onto his hand. Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards alike began to shoot at them as they entered through the broken window. Electric returned fire as she led a dazed Ghoul to the elevators across the room, punching on the button to call the elevator to the floor.

The sound of the elevator door opening was a welcome relief as Electric dragged Ghoul into the door, slamming the button for the door to shut. A few lasers nearly took off her head, only to stop as the doors shut.

"Ghoul, are you with me?" she asked, quickly sliding up her yellow mask. She could see a shard of glass sticking out of the side of him.

"I'll be fine," he winced. "Just get this out of me."

She nodded, wiping the sweat forming on her fingerless-gloved hands on her jeans before gripping onto the glass. A grunt of pain echoed in Ghoul's throat as the shard was freed. The wound began to bleed profusely.

"Here," Electric ripped off part of one of her undershirts, pressing it against the wound.

"Not exactly the start that we wanted, huh?" he tried to laugh, only to cringe in pain.

"Just hold onto that tightly." She turned, pushing the button for the lowest floor, where the holding cells where. That was the one fact she needed to remember. If Chemical was anywhere waiting for Extermination, it would be there. She was sure.

"Are you going to be okay, Ghoul?" she asked, wiping the blood away on Ghoul's face as the elevator descended.

Ghoul nodded. "This is nothing. Just help me stand up." Electric grabbed onto his gloved hand, gently pulling him up off the ground. Blood was beginning to stain his yellow shirt as the fabric became blood-soaked.

"Hold on." Electric pulled off another few pieces of fabric from her undershirts. She balled up another clean piece, placing it against Ghoul's wound, while wrapping the other to pieces around his torso to keep it in place. "I hope that holds."

"It's pretty tight," Ghoul replied. "I think it will."

As Electric began to open her mouth to retort, the elevator shook violently as it stopped mid-descent. Alarm bells began to ring loudly inside the small car.

"What the fuck?" Ghoul shouted, hands over his ears.

"Damn it. They're trying to trap us in here," Electric shouted. She looked around briefly in a panic before her eyes settled on the elevator door.

"Help me," Electric yelled, pulling on one of the elevator doors. Ghoul pulled on the other door, causing them to open smoothly. They looked out in front of them, seeing themselves halfway between floors. Electric took a quick glance at where they were stopped on the screen, smiling.

"Follow me." She shimmied her way through the gap between the ceiling of their destination floor and the floor of the elevator. It was a small drop before she landed on her feet. She could barely see into the elevator, where Ghoul was slowly getting down on the floor. It took longer than she would've liked, but eventually Ghoul joined her in the hallway, where blue security lights were flashing and the alarm echoed on the white tile walls.

"Come on, Electric! While we have a chance!" Ghoul grabbed her hand as they ran down the hallway, away from the disabled elevator and towards the holding cells.

* * *

"What the…?" Party spoke up, walking over to the door. Chemical watched as he placed his ear against the door of their cell.

"What is it?" Chemical stood.

Party waved for him to be quiet as he listened for a few more seconds. "Something's going on out there."

He had barely stepped back from the door before it slid open, revealing a disgruntled-looking Korse and a small army of Draculoids.

"Time to die," Korse growled as the Draculoids swarmed into the cell. Chemical could feel them grabbing at him, trying to force his arms behind his back. But he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of taking him that easily.

_After all, I have to save Party Poison. For Electric's sake._

He felt two Dracs slightly lift him off the ground, wrenching his arms behind his back. Using the momentum they were giving him, Chemical was able to kick out at two approaching Draculoids, sending them to the floor. The leverage allowed him to complete a spectacular flip, pulling his arms out of the Dracs' grip. They were soon on the ground as well, subdued by a punch to the face.

Sensing an opportunity, Chemical grabbed two blasters off of the dazed Draculoids. He smiled as the familiar weapon was back into his hand, the first time in weeks.

"Time to die," he grinned, letting the blasters charge. It took a couple of shots to dust half of the Dracs sent to subdue him.

"Party, duck!" Chemical aimed at the Drac that had pinned Party against the wall, quickly dusting him. Party took the moment of freedom to knock out the remaining Dracs before Chemical threw one of the blasters at him. Party aimed the blaster at Korse.

"You were saying about dying?" he smiled, letting the blaster charge.

But before he could pull the trigger, the alarm sounded off, echoing in the hallways and into the room. Blue security lights began to flash, replacing the harsh overhead lights.

Korse was slightly distracted by the sudden change of situation, allowing Party an opportunity to shoot. The shot hit Korse in the shoulder, sending him to the floor. They both exited the cell as Korse grabbed his shoulder, blood beginning to stain his grey blazer. Party once again raised his blaster, aiming it at Korse's head.

"Go ahead, kill me," Korse smiled, a malicious glint in his grey eyes. "I know you can't."

The white blaster was steady in Party's grip as his finger tightened around the trigger. A sadistic smile crossed Party's face.

"Are you so sure about that?"

Korse's face fell as the blaster was aimed closer to his head. But he smiled again as he heard the slamming of running feet echoing among the alarm.

"Looks like you're out of time, Party Poison." The smile returned to Korse's face as Draculoids rounded the corner, shooting.

"Come on!" Chemical grabbed Party's arm as he shot back. Disgruntled, Party got up, joining Chemical in shooting their pursuers as they ran down the hall.

* * *

"What is that noise?" Rocket shouted as the alarm sounded in the hallway. Kobra and Jet ripped the masks off of their faces as the security lights began to flash.

"Shit! It's the alarm!" Laser shouted.

"Come on!" Kobra shouted, grabbing his blaster. Rocket and Laser let the handcuffs drop off of their wrists as they ran to catch up to the two Fabulous Killjoys.

It was a few minutes until they came across a locked door. Noticing the security pad, Jet let his security badge flash on the scanner. The light stayed red. He tried again, but still the light didn't turn green for clearance.

"What's the problem?" Kobra hissed. "It should work, even during lockdown."

"It won't take the card," Jet growled back. "You try."

Kobra did, only to find that his security card didn't work as well. "What the…"

"Well, well," a feminine voice with a hint of an accent spoke up behind the four of them. "Problem, gentlemen?"

They turned, to see a woman of Japanese descent standing in the hallway. Her hair was cut short, chin-length, making her seem older than she actually was. She was dressed in a grey dress suit, complete with a pencil skirt that hit at her knees, and paired with black heels. In her hands was a sheathed katana. A smug smile was on her face as four Draculoids flanked her, blasters raised.

"News?" Jet and Kobra asked simultaneously.

She crossed her arms, flashing a sword in her grip. "I do not know any news that you speak of. My name is Isoda. Airi Isoda." She quickly took the sword out of the sheath, pointing the blade at the four of them.

"And I guess that you are not dead, Fabulous Killjoys. But you will be soon enough."

The Draculoids aimed their guns at the four fugitives, fingers on the triggers. They were about to shoot until the all slumped to the ground at nearly the same time, ghosted.

Airi quickly turned around, to see two people in the hallway behind her, their brightly-colored blasters smoking. They were similar in height, but one of them was wearing a polka-dotted helmet and the skimpiest outfit ever seen in Battery City. The other was wearing a cropped black jacket over clashing neon colors.

"Show Pony?" Kobra asked. The helmeted Killjoy nodded.

"Looks like we got here just in time."

"Definitely." A girl with blue bangs and blue streaks throughout her blond hair spoke up. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief under the neon green, pink and orange mask.

"No matter," Airi gripped the sword in her hand tighter, before raising it towards Pony and Neon. "Two more zone runners dead will make this a good day."

She ran down the hall, raising the katana dangerously over her head, before swinging it down as she approached the two, standing frozen by the sudden attack.

But the blade never made contact. It instead hit another thin length of steel, sending the crashing sound reverberating through the hallway. Airi followed the length, past a swinging rosary tied around the hilt and into the masked green eyes of a black and yellow-clad girl, gripping onto her own katana.

"I don't think so."


	42. Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back

_A/N: I'm SO SORRY you guys! This past weekend was full of strange events which hindered my ability to get this chapter posted in a timely manner. But in other news, I actually scored one of the special 7" records My Chem released for Record Store Day, and I have to say, it does look pretty sweet. How I'm going to play it (if I want to), that's another question..._

_Oh, and have you guys heard #SINGItForJapan yet? I have to say that rendition of Sing is so beautiful. I totally downloaded it off of iTunes, and you should too! And then there's the matter that I was able to get one of those limited photograhs that Frank took and is numbering...Yes, you can come kill me now, if you want._

_Hope I didn't leave you guys in too much suspense over the weekend. Enjoy the next chapter!_

S_tay fabulous, Killjoys!_

Chapter 42: Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back

"Techno! Look out!"

Digital tackled the girl as they scrambled behind one of the desks, avoiding the torrent of lasers aimed at them. Digital looked at the small girl, noticing that her blaster was shaking in her grip.

"Are you okay?"

She turned to look at him, fear in her eyes. Her blaster was shaking in her grip.

"I don't think I can do this, Digital Ghost."

Digital ducked as white lasers flew overhead. "What happened to that girl back in the tunnels? The one that didn't want to be a lackey of Better Living?"

"It's easier to say something than to actually do it!" she retorted. "I've only shot one Draculoid before, and that was by accident."

Digital sighed as he shook his head. "Are you serious?"

Techno nodded.

He thought for a few seconds as he took perch behind the pockmarked desk, trying to aim at the Draculoids that had ambushed them. "You still have the USB?"

"Right here." Techno held out her hand, showing the small device in her palm.

"Can you upload the file by yourself?"

"Yeah, I should. But what about you?"

"I'll cover you." He gave her a grin in response. "Now go."

Taking a deep breath, she holstered her blaster before running out into the firefight. She could feel the lasers leave burn marks as they grazed past her body. To her, it felt like there were more than five Dracs shooting at them.

She pulled back out the upgraded Vend-A-Hack, thrusting it into the card-key reader that would allow her access into the room where the mainframe was located. Her fingers worked furiously as she tried as many codes as she possibly could in a short amount of time. Nothing would allow the door would open.

"Come on," she muttered, pushing furiously on the buttons.

"Techno!"

She looked up as she heard Digital shout out her name. Her stomach sunk as a Draculoid grabbed Digital, thrusting it's blaster underneath Digital's chin. She pulled out her blaster, letting the Vend-A-Hack fell from her hands, hanging by the ribbon of wire sticking into the card reader.

"Let him go!" Techno tried to shout with an air of confidence in her voice. It unfortunately came out as a high-pitched squeal.

The lead Draculoid chuckled as it stepped forward, watching the blaster shake in the girl's hand. "Don't be foolish. You wouldn't want your friend here to die now. Do you?"

"Techno, don't listen to it!" Digital shouted. "Just follow through with the plan!"

Techno looked between Digital and the Draculoid approaching her. Fear and confusion were in her eyes as the Drac towered over her, placing its hand on Techno's blaster and tearing it out of her grip. She cringed as fell to the floor behind the Drac.

"You're out of time." It continued to push her backwards, until she was against the door with nowhere to go. Her hands slipped on the metal wall, nearly sending her to the floor. Her eyes widened though, as her hand brushed against the holster around her leg. Her fingers grasped at the steel of one of the knives attached.

In one fluid movement, Techno pulled the blade out, throwing it at the Draculoid approaching her. A growl echoed in his voice as the knife pierced its arm, blood beginning to stain the white blazer. Sensing an opportunity, she pushed past the Draculoid, grabbing more knives out of her holster. Her aim wasn't exactly perfect, but the knives hit various appendages, sending the attacking Draculoids to the floor grunting in pain. Digital looked around him, shocked at the sudden violent attack from the small girl

"Come on Digital Ghost!" Techno grabbed his hand. Awoken from his sudden daze, they both ran out the doors and into the hallway beyond.

The lead Draculoid growled as he ripped the knife out of his arm before turning to his men. "What are you waiting for? Get them!"

The other Draculoids quickly scrambled up before giving chase to the two intruders. The lead Drac sighed as he looked at the carnage around the room only to have its eyes fall upon a small black device near the door to the mainframe.

* * *

Party Poison couldn't believe how close he was to actually killing that bastard. Just another second and all their problems could've been solved.

_You didn't need more time. You had plenty. You froze, you weak son-of-a-bitch._

"Party!" Chemical's voice broke into his thoughts. "Would you help me out here?" Party returned to the present, where Chemical was shooting wildly behind him at the swarm of Dracs chasing them. Party turned his stolen blaster on their pursuers, dusting Dracs as they ran down the hall.

"Have any idea how to get out of this mess?" Party asked.

"Avoid the elevators," Chemical replied, a smile on his face.

They continued to navigate the maze of hallways on the floor, praying that they didn't become cornered in some dead-end hallway. But the further they went along, the more confused Party felt.

_This place is a fucking maze. Why does everything have to be so goddamn white?_

They turned a corner, only to find it open up to a double doorway at the end of the hall. Chemical tried the door handle as Party continued to shoot at the approaching Draculoids.

"Damn it, it's locked!" Chemical shouted, pulling furiously on the handle.

"Allow me," Party pushed aside, turning his blaster on the door. A few blasts and the door handle fell completely off.

"I guess that works," Chemical muttered as a white laser went zooming past his head. They ran into the room, slamming the door shut in the faces of the Draculoids chasing them.

"Now what?" Chemical asked as the door shook, followed by the guttural growls of their pursuers.

"Give me a second," Party spat back. His eyes darted around the room, landing on a bookcase that sat not even ten feet away. "Hold on."

"What?" Chemical was briefly caught by surprise as Party left the door, leaving Chemical to prevent the Dracs from entering. His eyes widened as he saw the Killjoy drag over the heavy-looking tall bookcase.

"Help me," Party grunted as the bookcase began to cover the doorway. Chemical maneuvered himself so he could keep the door pinned with his body as they dragged the bookcase completely in front of the only entrance in the room.

"That should hold them," Party replied, backing away from the door.

"Only for a little while," Chemical panted. They both looked around the room they locked themselves in. Party noticed the large wooden desk sitting behind him, complete with a high-tech touchscreen computer and a stack of files. Walking around on the other side, he looked at the one file that was on top of the rest. His eyes landed on a black-and-white image of a young man and young girl, both looking fearful among a sea of dust.

_They've been watching Chemical and Becca for a while now. Those bastards._

"Where the hell are we, anyway?" Chemical asked, letting his hand run over the leather-upholstered chair. The bookcase shook violently behind him, until Chemical placed one of the heavy leather chairs in front.

"I think we're in an Exterminator's office," Party didn't look up as he paged through the documents on the desk. "Korse's to be exact."

"Seriously?" Chemical looked over Party's shoulder, looking at the photograph Party noticed earlier. He furiously grabbed it. "That bastard has been watching me? The fucker!"

"I know how you feel," Party replied, sliding down in the high-backed chair. "It seems like we never get out of his grip, no matter how much we try."

Chemical looked at the dejected form slunk in the chair. "I know how close you were to killing him. But there are going to be other times in the future."

"You so sure about that?" Party replied as the bookcase shook again.

"I told you that I was going to get you out of here, at any cost." Party looked up at the determined face of Chemical Skeleton, confused.

"Why would you do that? You barely know me."

"Because you helped out my sister, when she absolutely needed it," Chemical stated. "And I'm not about to have the leader of the Fabulous Killjoys die under my protection. My reputation would be ruined!"

Party chuckled. "Yeah, that would be a problem, wouldn't it?" He leaned back in the chair, placing his boots on the desk. Something clicked underneath the heels of his boots, surprising both of them.

"What the…?"

They looked across the room as a flat-screen television turned itself on, removing the Better Living logo that had been swirling around on the screen. It was divided into nine separate panels, each showing a different part of the building.

"What is that?" Party asked, getting up out of the chair. Chemical had made his way over, studying the numerous black and white images.

"I think we've accessed the security feed." Chemical's eyes darted from image to image before the landed on one image.

"Oh my god," he breathed, touching the image on the screen. It expanded to cover the whole screen, showing a young girl standing in the hallway; her sword raised and blocking the attack of another.

"Becca?"

* * *

Electric Revenge gripped tighter on the hilt of her katana as she pushed off the attacking blade. The woman's face was contorted in anger as she glared at Electric.

"Electric?" Kobra's eyes went wide as his gaze fell upon her. "Ghoul?"

"Alive and present," Ghoul replied, clutching his side.

Electric looked over the Airi's shoulders, her face full of surprise. "Kobra? Jet? You're alive?"

"For the time being," Airi growled, swinging her blade back at Electric. Electric countered the attack again, pushing her off.

"What the hell is your problem?" Electric yelled, her body heaving.

"None of you will get out of here alive. Korse will make sure of it," the woman stated matter-of-factly.

"Guys, you better get out of here while you can," Electric ordered to the three behind her. "Go find Party Poison and my brother."

Pony and Neon nodded, running past towards the assembled group at the end of the hallway. Ghoul hung back.

"Are you sure?" he replied, avoiding the swinging blade of Airi as she tried to attack again. Electric parried and pushed her back.

"Positive. Now go!" Ghoul nodded before he ran to join the others.

"Your friends will not get away," Airi replied, backing up slightly. "All the doors are locked in this wing. No one can get in or out."

The sound of multiple blasters firing at once echoed in the hallway. She turned, to see the doors smoking as they swung open, allowing the seven rebels exit out of the area.

"You were saying?" Electric replied, a smug smile on her face. She switched the sword to her left hand before pulling out the electric glove from her pocket, unrolling it and sliding it onto her hand. A few push of the buttons and the glove came to live, humming with electricity. Electric smiled as she pulled out the other katana in her possession, moving into an attacking position.

"I will enjoy killing you." Airi smiled.

"That's if you can." Electric replied before running towards the grey-suited woman, blades raised.

* * *

Korse was furious as he watched the Draculoids give chase to the previously incarcerated rebels. How could he have let something as simple as an alarm distract him so easily?

"Are you okay, sir?" a Draculoid broke in, causing Korse to glare at it.

"I'm fine," he spat, clutching his injured shoulder. "I'll be better once those two are back in custody."

"My men are working on it, sir," the Drac replied.

"And what about you?"

"Pardon, sir?"

"Why aren't you 'working on it,' as you put it?"

"I, uh…" the Drac stammered as Korse towered above it. It turned and ran down the hall after its men.

The radio clipped to Korse's belt crackled to life. He looked at it, sighing in disgust.

"What is it?" Korse yelled into the radio.

"Sir?" the voice of Korse's number one Draculoid responded.

"James," Korse's anger lowered slightly as he heard his most trusted official respond. "Is there a problem?"

"You were right about intruders in the computer mainframe by the laboratories," the Drac's voice responded. "We were about to apprehend two younger rebels, but unfortunately, we were not expecting for one to use non-standard weapons."

"You don't sound so upset about this."

The Draculoid smiled underneath its mask as it talked into the radio. "I currently have my men in pursuit. And that key that you were talking about?" He held up a small black USB device in his hand as he talked to Korse. "It's currently in my possession."


	43. Zero Percent

_A/N: I'm so sorry again! Ugh, I have no idea what my problem is this week with not getting these chapters written in a timely manner. I hate having you guys wait so long, especially now! But schoolwork and exhaustion are starting to set in, driving down my energy levels. Ugh, it's not fun._

_So if the next chapters come a bit later than I like, I'm sorry. But I'll try to get them up 2-3 days apart. Hope you understand!_

_Stay fabulous, killjoys!_

Chapter 43: Zero Percent

Grace couldn't believe she was actually helping out the Killjoys. Well, it wasn't exactly as she had dreamed; she would rather be out there shooting Draculoids like she had been taught by Party Poison. Sitting in the blue van with Dr. D, though, was exciting in its own way. She at least got to listen in into all the conversations between the rebels in the city as the towers began to broadcast on frequency 109. Some of the conversations she heard made her giggle as the distracted the hordes of Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards on patrol.

This was the closest Grace had been to Battery City in a long time, ever since she ran away a few years ago. She had been running for days before she passed out, dehydrated and weak. Jet Star and Fun Ghoul had found her during a round of patrols. They brought her back to the diner, nursing her back to health.

It was an awkward time as they figured out what to do with a ten-year-old girl. All four of them were skeptical to harbor such a minor in their ranks. But Grace proved herself to be smart, cunning, and dangerous when she needed to be. They had all become one big dysfunctional family; all four of them her big brothers.

And now she had an opportunity to help those brothers of hers. So she continued to listen to the radio messages, hoping to hear a familiar voice come through eventually. She knew Dr. D could handle all these messages coming in, but sometimes it helped to have another ear listen in, just in case something was missed.

So when she overheard talk on the hacked channel, she knew she had to listen up. And what she heard wasn't pretty.

"Dr. D!" she shouted. Dr. D slid his headphones down as he looked at her.

"What is it, sunshine?"

"The Dracs have Electric Revenge's drive!" She looked fearful as Dr. D quickly turned to the channel so he could listen in.

"Damn," he muttered after a half-minute of listening in. "Things are going Costa Rica. Fast."

"What do we do?" Grace asked as Dr. D slid off his headphones, letting them drop to the floor of the van.

"We're not gonna be able to wait for them, sunshine. We're gonna have to go crash the party."

Grace's eyes widened as Dr. D moved himself up to the front seat of the van, an impressive feat among the satellite radio equipment strewn across the van. "But how are you going to drive?" she asked, following him up to the front seat.

Something dangerous sparkled in his eyes as he looked over at Grace, before sliding his shades down. "Think you can drive for me?"

* * *

"So, any ideas of what to do now?" Show Pony asked as the group made their way down the hallway.

"None whatsoever," Jet Star sighed as they reached another locked door. A furious kick from the Kobra Kid easily broke the lock, allowing them access into the stairwell. The group bunched together as they stopped to catch their breath, letting the door slam shut behind them.

"We still need to get Party Poison and Chemical Skeleton out of here," Rocket Revolver spoke up. He looked up the circling stairwell. "If they were moving us, Korse must be moving them."

"What about Techno and Digital?" Neon Paint spoke up. "We're supposed to meet up with them." She pointed to Pony and herself.

"Who's Techno and Digital?" Laser Shot asked, confused. "Hell, who are you?" He pointed at Show, Neon and Ghoul.

"Look, there's no time for that now!" Fun Ghoul looked out in the hallway they had left. Draculoids ran past the window, causing the group to duck out of sight. "Why don't we just split up and find everyone?"

"Is that such a good idea?" Neon asked. "I mean, we just found out that you two aren't dead." She pointed at Jet and Kobra.

"It's not, but it's all we have right now. The sooner we find everyone, the sooner we can get out of here." Kobra sighed. "Jet, why don't you go with Show Pony and his friend to go help out Techno? And Digital was the other one?" He inquired

Jet nodded. "Rocket, why don't you come with me? I could use an extra hand."

"Do you guys have radios with you?" Kobra asked.

They all shook their heads. "We figured we were just going to grab one from a Drac once we had everyone together," Pony explained.

Jet shook his head. "You know you guys are lucky that we happen to have two." He pulled out a radio from his pocket. Kobra did the same.

"Set it to 109. Dr. D's outside the city waiting to hear from us," Pony commented.

"Got it." Kobra said. "Now let's get going before we lose any more time."

With that, the group split up. Jet, Pony, Neon and Rocket made their way downstairs towards the underground laboratories, while Kobra, Ghoul and Laser raced upwards towards the interrogation rooms.

* * *

Party Poison couldn't believe the image he saw on the television screen in front of him. Even after being shot point blank in the stomach, there she was, fighting some other woman.

"She's alive?" he found the question stupid as it left his mouth. Chemical looked over at him.

"I guess she is. Always knew she was a fighter. But she's never used the swords before. Did she start using them with you guys?"

Party shook his head. "First time I've seen her fight with them too."

The door shuddered again. The wood began to splinter and crack from the force of those trying to get in.

"I think we have a bigger problem on our hands than my sister at the moment," Chemical raised his blaster at the door. "They're going to get in here soon. And there's no other way out."

Party looked around the room, studying every nook and cranny the room had to offer. He wanted to agree with Chemical, but they were in Korse's office. The man had to have had some other way to get out of here, in case of emergency.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Chemical looked over his shoulder as Party went over to the desk, sweeping papers off of the surface.

"There's got to be some sort of secret exit out of here," Party voiced his thoughts, digging into the mess he was creating. "Korse isn't the kind of person who would have one exit out of a room. He likes to know he has an escape that no one else knows about."

Chemical sighed as he shook his head. "Sounds like you know a lot about him."

"It's a long story that we don't have time to talk about now." Party began to open up the drawers before slamming them shut again. "Damn it, there's got to be some sort of switch or something."

"Or something," a cold voice echoed from across the room. Party and Chemical looked up to see Korse standing near an opening in the wall, flanked by two of his Draculoids. That sinister smile was back on his face as the blasters the Dracs were holding began to charge.

The door shattered, knocking over the bookcase and chairs they had used to prevent the Dracs from entering the room. A dozen or so Dracs entered, swarming towards the two fugitives. Chemical could only fire off a few shots before the blasters was ripped from his grip. He threw a few punches, but the sheer number of Dracs overpowered him, forcing his arms behind his body as handcuffs were replaced over his wrists. Party also fired off a few shots before his blaster was taken from him. The Dracs slammed him down onto the desk as they forced his arms behind him before he was too handcuffed.

Korse walked over as the two of them were forced to stand again. He glared icily at the both of them. "I'm surprised at the two of you. No one's ever had the guts to do what you've done."

He grabbed Party's throat, cutting off his air supply. His blaster was soon lodged underneath Party's chin. "Of course, now you've really pissed me off. I'll enjoy making you both suffer." Korse let go of Party's throat. He coughed violently as he gasped for air.

"Unfortunately for you, your friends won't be able to save you. All of their hard work, trying to distract my men, will be for nothing." Korse looked over at the television screen, watching the two women fight with their swords. "Well, well, what do we have here?" The smile on his face grew bigger. "It seems like your sister doesn't know the meaning of death now, does she, Chemical Skeleton?" Chemical's face paled as Korse turned to look at him.

"I guess I'm going to have to rectify that now, aren't I?"

"You lay a finger on her and I'll…" Party started.

"You'll do what, Party Poison?" Korse taunted. "I don't believe you're in a position to threaten me. But I forget that you love her, don't you?"

Party bit his tongue.

"That's what I thought," Korse smiled. "The famous Fabulous Killjoy has a crush on a teenage girl. Quite pathetic if you ask me."

Korse watched as the anger simmered underneath the surface. It was quite amusing to use their emotions to break them down. Their greatest weapon was also their weakness.

"But I wouldn't worry, Party Poison. You'll only be feeling that for an hour at the most.

"It's time to die."

* * *

Techno Beat wasn't sure how much longer she could run. Mostly unarmed, she knew that the situation was become desperate. Both she and Digital Ghost were getting worn out as they maneuvered the confusing hallways of the laboratories. Dracs were coming left and right down adjacent hallways, joining up to create a massive swarm that they couldn't seem to escape.

Lasers grazed past both of them, nicking at their clothing and burning the skin underneath. But Techno figured their luck was going to run out soon enough; one Drac was going to have the lucky killing shot.

"Where the hell are we?" she heard Digital ask in a wheezing breath.

She shook her head in response. "I don't know. Better Living made their hallways look the same to confuse intruders."

"Lucky us," Digital muttered. They turned a corner, only to find it didn't have an exit.

"Fuck." Digital cursed as they turned around, watching the Draculoids chase them block the exit. They began to inch closer, stalking their trapped prey.

Techno grabbed the remaining knife in her holster, arming herself. Digital looked fearful under his white mask as they backed into the wall, waiting for their inevitable demise.

"Sorry, Pika-chan," Techno whispered, feeling the sweat build underneath her mask. "I'm so sorry."


	44. This Is How I Disappear

_A/N: I'M SO SORRY! It has never taken me this long to write a chapter, but what with schoolwork and my parents coming to visit me over the holiday weekend, well, I had no time to write and edit. But I swear this will make it up to you! And I'll try to get the rest of the chapters written quicker and uploaded. _

_Once again, sorry to keep you waiting! _

_Stay fabulous, killjoys!_

Chapter 44: This Is How I Disappear

That ever-present dread in the pit of the Kobra Kid's stomach was becoming increasingly present the further up the stairs he went. He did feel a little better that back-up had come in the way of the Killjoys. Especially Electric Revenge, holding off NewsAGoGo…

_No, it's not News anymore. Those bastards corrupted her. God, Becca, you better be careful._

"Kobra! Come on!" Fun Ghoul shouted halfway up the next flight of stairs. Kobra paused for a moment, realizing that his pace had slowed, causing both Laser Shot and Ghoul to pass by. They slowed enough to have him catch up.

"What's wrong?" Ghoul asked as they began to ascend the stairs again.

"Nothing," Kobra quickly replied. Ghoul raised his eyebrows at him, a deadpan look on his face.

"Sure."

"Look, we have bigger things to worry about right now. Like saving my brother, perhaps?"

"He's got a point," Laser interjected.

"I'm just saying," Ghoul rolled his eyes. "If you're having one of those 'gut feelings' again, I think we deserve to know."

"What gut feelings?" Laser looked at Ghoul before looking at Kobra.

"It's nothing," Kobra said behind gritted teeth as they approached the landing to the seventh floor. "Let's just get Party and Chemical and get out of here before anyone gets shot."

Ghoul pulled out his blaster, checking the charge he had left on the battery. Laser looked down at his hands, confusion on his face.

"What am I supposed to do?" Laser looked over to Kobra. "I'm unarmed."

"Shit, I forgot about that before," Kobra muttered. He took a quick look down at the white blaster in his hands. "Here, take this."

Laser grabbed the blaster with some hesitation. "What are you going to do?"

"Improvise."

"Oh boy," Ghoul rolled his eyes as Kobra kicked the door open. The three of them spilled out into the hallway, blasters raised and ready to fire.

Only to find out that it was blaringly empty, with no sign of Draculoids anywhere.

"Okay…" Ghoul replied as he looked around. "This is a bit awkward."

"Are you sure his is the right floor?" Kobra asked at Laser.

"Yeah. Those are the interrogation rooms right there." He pointed towards the dead-bolted doors down the hallway, before noticing one door standing suspiciously open.

"Kobra, what the fuck are you doing?" Ghoul stammered as Kobra made his way towards the open door. He cautiously entered the cell, studying every surface. The white cell was for the most part empty, save for two prisoner uniforms lying on the floor.

"That's weird," Laser muttered as he looked in, followed by Ghoul. Kobra picked up one of the prison uniforms, noticing a few splatters of blood near the collar of the shirt.

"So they're walking around naked?" Ghoul asked, raising an eyebrow. Kobra shook his head.

"I highly doubt that. But why would they take these off?" He shook the uniform in his hand before letting it drop back to the floor.

"You don't think they've been moved, do you?" Laser looked back in the hallway with some trepidation.

Kobra sighed as he stood. "I don't know. Almost seems like it, considering there aren't any guards on the floor."

"Well, we aren't getting anywhere by just standing here," Ghoul replied impatiently. "Let's go before the Dracs find us."

Kobra sighed as he took one last look at the discarded clothing, before leaving the cell and following the other two down the hall.

_God, Gerard, where the fuck are you?_

* * *

"Can anyone tell me why the hell this place is so fucking confusing?" Neon Paint blurted out loud as they turned around another corner in the hallway. A few Dracs turned at the sound of her voice and began shooting.

"You're preaching to the choir, sister," Rocket Revolver replied, firing at their attackers. It only took a minute or so with the four of them there to ghost the Dracs standing in their way.

"So where exactly did Techno go?" Jet Star asked as they continued down the hallway.

"The laboratories," Show Pony answered. "That's where the mainframe is located. I just hope they were able to upload that transmission before all these Dracs arrived."

Jet nodded as they continued down the hallway. The white hallways were beginning to confuse him as they maneuvered deeper and deeper into the underbelly of Better Living Industries.

"Hold it!" Jet placed his arms up, stopping the other three from walking around a corner at two intersecting hallways. They were roughly pushed back against the wall.

"What the hell?" Neon complained, pushing away Jet's arm.

Rocket rolled his eyes. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Well aren't you rude!"

"Would both of you be quiet?" Pony sighed.

Jet just shook his head as white laser beam shot out from around the corner. It was only a few seconds before the first Drac appeared from the hallway. It was quickly ghosted by Jet before another one appeared.

Then another.

Then another.

It wasn't long before an all-out firefight began between the intruding zone runners and the Dracs. Lasers passed by, grazing arms and legs and nearly missing heads. As soon as a Drac was ghosted, two more stood in its place.

"Where the hell are these all coming from?"Jet asked to no one in particular as he ghosted his fifth Drac. Or was it his sixth?

"Jet Star?"

Jet looked up from the Draculoid he had just shot to see the shocked face of Techno Beat standing at the opening of one of the hallways, her eyes wide underneath her tear-stained purple mask. Behind her he could see another white-clad person running towards her, but the lack of a latex mask assured Jet that this wasn't an enemy, but instead Techno's partner.

_Digital, was it?_

But what Jet didn't see was a Draculoid behind him aim at the frozen form of Techno.

"Look out!"

In a split-second decision, Rocket ran at Techno as the Drac fired. They collided roughly as Rocket felt a searing pain pass on the left side of his face. Jet, having felt the shot graze past his own face, turned around and shot the Drac square in the chest. He fired two more shots on the unmoving body before he was convinced it was dead. Only then did he look back over at Rocket and Techno.

"Rocket? Are you okay?" Jet asked as he ran over. Techno had crawled out from underneath him, rubbing her right arm where it had hit the ground. She looked over at the one who saved her, only to see him doubled over, his body shaking. His hand was plastered tightly over his left eye as blood began to drip from between his fingers.

She pulled at his hand, trying to see what was causing the blood. A gasp of shock escaped as her eyes landed on the charred skin running across his left temple, from his eye to his hairline. Blood was dripping down the side of his face as his white of his eye began to turn red. She gripped his left hand tightly as he tried to twist out of her grip, stopping him from placing it back over his eye. He looked at her, confusion in his uninjured eye.

"It'll be fine," she whispered. "Just don't touch it. I don't want it to get infected."

Jet crouched down by the two of them, taking in the injury. "Shit," he muttered as he let his hand hover over the wound. "This looks pretty deep."

"Can you do anything?" Techno asked turning to him, her voice full of concern.

"Not here," he replied. "Pony? A little help?"

Pony looked over his shoulder at the scene behind him. "Holy…" He looked around, noticing Digital standing a bit away from Rocket and Techno.

"Digital, catch." He threw his pink blaster at the timid-looking rebel before rushing towards Jet. He caught it, giving Pony a nod before he joined his original partner in the firefight.

Pony crouched down, pulling some bandages out of the messenger bag he had brought with him. Jet nodded a silent sign of thanks as he quickly wrapped the bandages around Rocket's eye. Rocket let a shudder course through his body as the gauze was first pressed against the raw wound, but at least the general shaking had subsided. Techno never let go of his blood-covered hand.

"Are you going to be okay, Rocket?" Jet asked as he finished wrapping the wound. Neon and Digital ran over as the last Drac fell, watching as Jet finished tending to the serious injury. Rocket nodded a little.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice shaky. Jet and Pony helped Rocket to stand, only to have his knees buckle underneath him. Techno was able to catch him as he pitched forward, placing her shoulder underneath his.

"Let me help." It was a statement, not a question as she looked into his unbandaged eye. The three helped Rocket get back on his feet, letting him get used to the sudden elevation.

"Are you going to be able to walk out of here?" Jet asked. He quickly inspected Rocket, making sure he wasn't showing any signs of delirium.

"I should," Rocket removed his arm from around Techno's shoulder. "Thanks for the help."

"I should be thanking you," she replied. "You saved my life."

"No problem," Rocket gave her a half-smile in response. Techno shyly smiled back.

"Did you get the transmission uploaded?" Neon interrupted, ending the tender moment between Rocket and Techno.

Digital shook his head. "Dracs were waiting for us in the lab. They had us pinned down the moment we got in there. We barely escaped."

"But we can still upload it, right?" Neon asked, looking between Digital and Techno. "Right?"

A look of sadness took over Techno's face as she became visibly upset.

"What's wrong?" Rocket asked, his voice still shaking.

"I dropped the drive when a Drac grabbed me," Techno replied, tears forming under her mask again. "I failed Pika-chan."

"Who?" Rocket asked, confused.

"Never mind," Digital replied with a wave of his hand. "It's no problem, Tech. We just need to get back into that lab and grab the drive."

"Are you sure about that?" Pony asked, pointing down the hallway. They turned to see another swarm of Draculoids running towards them, blasters firing.

"No time now." Jet shouted as he began to fire back. "Come on!"

With that, the six of them began to run again, shooting their pursuers as they tried to escape the maze-like hallways of Better Living.

"I hope Electric is having better luck than we are," Neon muttered.

* * *

Electric Revenge couldn't believe what she was doing. In the brief time she had had her parents' katanas in her possession, nothing had compelled her to actually use them. Not like this.

Hell, she didn't even think she knew how to use them. But something felt right when she pulled out her sword to protect Neon and Pony. The situation compelled her to use them, as if her life depended on it.

Well, at this point, it did.

Electric countered each attack, using her swords defensively rather than offensively. It had taken her months to actually pull them out to use; it was going to take much longer to actually use them for bloodshed.

At least Electric knew the glove on her right hand was working. She could feel the electricity prickling through the fabric onto her skin, empowering her to continue fighting with a somewhat familiar weapon. She didn't know that the electricity was going to also course through the steel of the sword, causing it to spark every time it impacted her opponent's blade. It was a surprise the first time steel clashed with steel, but now it was another obstacle to avoid.

Electric shoved off another attack, sending the grey-clad woman backwards a few steps. The woman—Airi, was it?—lowered her sword as she raised her head, a smile on her face.

"What's so amusing?" Electric asked between gasps of air, her swords raised in defense. She was getting winded from the extended period of physical movement.

"I underestimated you, zone runner." Airi continued to smile as she circled around Electric, staring at her with cold black eyes. "There is something different about you."

_What the hell is she rambling about?_

"Do you want to know how I ended up in this position?"

"Not really." Electric tightened the grip on her swords. _If this is an excuse to let my guard down, she's pretty pathetic._

"Those _friends_ you have, the _Killjoys_?" The words came out bitter on her tongue. "They will leave you in the dust to die if it does not further their cause. Better Living found me, made me better and ready to fight against those who betrayed me."

"You lie!" Electric raised her weapons as Airi continued to circle her.

"It is no lie. You ask your friends." She raised her sword, pointing it at Electric.

"If you get the chance."

Without warning, Airi ran forward, sword high above her head ready for a killing blow. Electric barely had time to defend herself from the attack, but it came late as the blade sliced through her leather jacket, down onto the skin of her left arm. Pain began to throb through the limb before she was able to knock the sword away, only to grow as the blade exited her wound.

The weapon in her left hand felt heavy. She looked down, watching as the sticky substance of blood begin to seep through the yellow jacket and drip down onto her hand and the sword.

"You bitch," she moaned as she tried to lift her arm. It just caused her to cry out in pain.

Airi huffed as she wiped the blood on her sword off on her skirt. "I guess I was wrong. You are like every other zone runner. Weak and naïve."

_I'll show you weak_.

Electric holstered the sword in her right hand, before transferring the one in her weakened left to her uninjured right. She clutched her left arm against her body as she moved into an attacking stance. With a burst of adrenaline, Electric brought the sword up in a spectacular arc that caught Airi by surprise. Steel hit steel, knocking away the sword in Airi's grip and sending it skittering across the white-tiled floor. It wasn't long before Electric had Airi pinned to the wall, the sword pressed against her opponent's throat.

"Weak, huh?" Electric spat as she pressed the blade closer, nicking the skin. Airi stared at her defiantly.

"It does not matter. If I die, there are plenty to take my place. You will never win."

"You're wrong. We will win, because I know the truth about Better Living. And soon everyone will."

"You mean this truth?" Electric stiffened as the barrel of a blaster touched the back of her head. She slowly turned around, only to stare at a Draculoid, its white blaster now aimed at the middle of her forehead. Something told her this wasn't an ordinary Drac by the way it was standing; an air of authority permeated from it.

But what caught her eye, and made her stomach fall, was an unscratched black USB drive clutched in its left hand.

In the momentary distraction, Electric felt her sword being ripped from her gloved hand before it was placed in front of her neck, against her throat.

"You zone runners have been a menace," the Drac replied, letting his gun settle against Electric's chest. "But it will be a small victory to see at least three rebels Exterminated today."

"We do not kill her now?" Airi sounded a bit disappointed as her grip tightened around Electric's sword, causing her to hiss as the skin broke.

"No," the Drac replied, authority prevalent in his voice. "The Chief Exterminator will want to have her join her brother and the Killjoy for the public Extermination. His orders," he added as a disgruntled look passed Airi's face.

"You are lucky, zone runner," she hissed in Electric's ear. "If it was my choice, you would be dead right now."

The sword was removed from around Electric's neck as she was pushed forward. She looked up to see the Drac's blaster still aimed at her.

"Don't try anything funny." The Drac grabbed Electric's arm, placing its blaster in the small of her back. Airi came up on the other side, her own sword replaced in her hilt, while Electric's was pointed at the owner.

"Just in case," Airi replied to Electric's look.

Electric felt herself being pulled down the hallway, stuck in between her enemies as she was marched to the elevators.

And for the first time that day, Electric Revenge was truly afraid that she wasn't going to get out of this alive.


	45. Bulletproof Heart

_A/N: I'M SO SORRY AGAIN! I have no idea why it's taking me so long to get these chapters out, and I hate leaving you guys on edge for so long! But I guess it's just been super crazy with the fact that I have my last week of classes (forever!) next week, followed by finals, followed by graduation. Add on top of that looking for jobs/internships, and the fact that this past weekend was pretty much our homecoming here at school (who figured a track meet could bring so many people out to party?). So yeah, those are my excuses. And I know I shouldn't be blaming them but myself, but I digress._

_I hope this makes up for it. I seriously promise the next chapter will be quicker, but now, back to homework for me so I can write some more!_

_Stay fabulous, Killjoys!_

Chapter 45: Bulletproof Heart

Party Poison stayed silent as he was forcefully led from Korse's office with Chemical Skeleton. The whole theory of him somehow in love with Electric was crazy.

_It's not love; it's more like brotherly affection for her. Isn't it?_

Whatever it was, it was sending his thoughts into a tailspin.

Party couldn't avoid the looks he was getting from Chemical out of the corner of his eyes. Party thought they would be of anger, and so he averted his gaze from Chemical's inquiring look for the longest time. But when they had to stop for the elevators at the end of the hallway, only then did Party actually see that there wasn't anger on the face of Electric Revenge's brother.

No, he looked compassionate, almost itching to ask a question about what had happened. But to tell the truth, Party wasn't even fully sure about what took place back in that office.

The sound of the elevator _ding_ brought Party back to the situation at hand, handcuffed and being led to his death. The doors opened, revealing an empty car, with grey walls and a grey floor and ceiling. Korse turned around, that evil smiling still sitting on his grey face seemingly becoming a permanent fixture.

"Not much longer now," he sneered, stepping aside. The Dracs that had been escorting Party grabbed tightly to his arms, pulling him closer to the elevator. Something triggered inside of Party that caused him to fight his captors as they pulled fiercely on his arms. Maybe it was just the will to survive, or the last bit of fight left in him, but the end result was the same.

Party Poison didn't want to die. Not like this.

Another Drac rushed towards him, the butt of its blaster poised to crash down on Party's head to make him more complacent. The blow never came, though, as the body was all of a sudden propelled backwards, sporting a brand new burn in the middle of its stomach. Party craned his neck around to see who had shot, only to catch a flash of yellow, black and military green before his escorting guards pulled him forward.

_Frank?_

Something passed by in a blur, barely allowing him to get a close enough look as he felt his arms being let go of. The two escorting guards were lying on the floor seconds later, writhing in pain as they nursed broken arms. A white-clad body was in front of him, breathing heavily. But there was no mistaking the swept-back blond hair.

"Mik…Kobra?" Party mentally cursed himself for almost blurting out his brother's real name in his surprise.

Kobra turned around, a smug smile on his face. "Miss me, big brother?"

Party began to open his mouth, ready with a witty comeback, but a yell of fury escaped from Korse.

"That's enough!" he shouted, pulling out his white blaster. "Kill them!"

"And that's our sign to leave." Kobra quickly grabbed two white blasters from the incapacitated guards before pulling on his brother's arm. "Ghoul?"

"Keep your pants on," he yelled, shooting wildly at the Draculoids before grabbing onto the arm of a surprised Chemical—surrounded by the two dead bodies of his guards—leading him away from the elevator and the horde of stunned Dracs.

Kobra did the same, grabbing onto one of his brother's arms, pulling him away from the firefight. They ran past a deadly accurate Laser Shot, who continued to shoot until they were a few steps ahead. The sound of Korse yelling at his men echoed in the hallway as they turned around a corner, avoiding the white lasers raining down on them.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Party finally managed to get out as they ran down the hallway, avoiding getting shot in the back of the head. "And how are you alive?" He looked at his younger brother.

"Long story. Won't bore you with the details now." Kobra flashed his brother a smug grin as he shot with both blasters at the guards giving chase.

"How about first we get these things off of us?" Chemical shook at his handcuffed hands behind his back.

"Hold on." The group slowed as Laser placed the muzzle of his blaster directly against the chain connecting before pulling the trigger. The laser cut cleanly through the metal. Laser made quick work with Party's cuffs, repeating the same process.

"It's the best I can do now," Laser replied, returning to shoot the Dracs behind them as they began to run again. "No time to pick the lock."

"It's good enough Laser," Chemical smiled at his friend before looking at the three Killjoys. "Now let's just get the hell out of here."

* * *

Korse was furious as he saw his prisoners once again escape from his custody, rounding the corner at the end of the hallway.

No, he wasn't furious. He was pissed to the nth degree. And there was hell to pay.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he shouted to the guards standing around, confused. "Get them! Unless you have a death wish?"

The guards that weren't injured gave chase, following the escaping zone runners around the corner. Korse turned to enter the open elevator, leaving behind the injured and dead. He knew those could be dealt with later. There were more pressing issues at hand.

He leaned back against the cold grey wall of the elevator as he descended down to the first floor. A plan was beginning to take shape in his mind the further he descended. The public Extermination was not working to his specifications, considering that now twice in less than an hour his prize prisoners had escaped.

But whatever he planned paled in comparison to what was waiting for him once the elevator doors opened, as a wonderful surprise stood in front of the doors, escorted by his most trusted man and newest recruit.

* * *

Jet Star turned the corner, letting his blaster sweep in front of him before he nodded his head.

"All clear."

Show Pony and Digital Ghost rounded first, their blasters also raised and ready to fire. A few seconds later, Neon Paint and Techno Beat came around at a slower pace. Neon still had her blaster in her hand, though it was lowered. Bringing up the rear was Rocket Revolver, his hand once again placed over his injured eye.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Techno asked.

Neon huffed as she blew at a stray strand of blue-dyed hair. "You've asked that seventeen times already. We're almost back to the stairwell, and the parking garage is only a short run from there. I think he'll be fine."

Techno shot her a dirty look as Rocket sighed. "I'm fine. But the sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can get actual medical attention."

"Come on you guys!" Pony shouted from down the hall. "Before we become target practice?" Techno, Rocket and Neon looked up to see Digital and Jet already halfway down the next hallway.

Neon rolled her eyes as she ran to catch up. Techno watched Rocket walk forward a few steps, continuing to clutch at his fresh injury. She moved up by his left side, grabbing the blood-stained hand and holding onto it tightly.

"What the…?"

"It'll be fine," she said sagely. "You're so concerned about your eye that it's slowing you down. I'll make sure you can't worry."

"Are you sure this isn't an attempt to just hold my hand?"Rocket asked, raising his uncovered eyebrow in amusement. A small laugh escaped Techno's lips.

"Come on!" Neon shouted at the two of them.

Rocket shook his head as they jogged forward to catch up with the rest of the group. "Is she always like this?"

Techno shrugged. "I couldn't say. I've only known her for about 18 hours."

"You're serious?"

Techno nodded. "Digital Ghost and she brought back Pika-chan."

"Who is this Pika-chan you keep talking about?"

"Sorry. It's my nickname for my friend Electric Revenge"

Rocket's hand gripped tighter around Techno's as they neared the rest of the group. "Chemical's sister?"

"You know Chemical Skeleton?" Her eyes went wide just as Jet kicked the door open. They filed into the stairwell, quickly making their way up the concrete stairs.

"Yeah, he was my cellmate. So Electric set this whole thing up?"

"She was pretty persistent," Digital interjected as they passed another basement level. "I haven't seen so much passion in a zone runner."

"Don't kid yourself," Neon replied. "You've barely seen how zone runners work."

"And you're the know-it-all about this certain subject," Digital shot back.

Pony chuckled under his helmet. "You guys certainly know how to have a riveting conversation when we're being chased by S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W, you know that?"

No other comments were made, besides the occasional grunt or sigh as they passed yet another floor on their way up the stairs. Techno couldn't help but blush at the fact that Rocket still hadn't let go of her hand, considering how close together the group had to be as they made their way up the narrow staircase.

_Don't worry Pika-chan. We're going to make it out of here._

* * *

"We're not going to make it out of here," Laser replied, shooting up at the Dracs from his perch a few floors below. The narrow space in the stairwell hampered his attempts, sending his shots flying nowhere near his targets.

"Laser! Come on!" Chemical shouted, taking the stairs three at a time. He hit the third floor landing hard, waiting for the Killjoys to catch up with him.

"Aren't you coming?" the shortest of the Killjoys—_Fun Ghoul, was it?_—asked.

"Yeah," Chemical shooed him away absently as he watched Laser appear at the top of the stairs. "Go on."

"Stubborn, just like Becca," Ghoul muttered as he turned and followed Party and Kobra down to the next floor, shooting occasionally upwards at the chasing Dracs.

Chemical smiled as he heard those words, chuckling under his breath as Laser approached him.

"What's so funny?" Laser inquired as they followed the three down the stairs.

"I never thought I would have to thank Bec…I mean, Electric, to get me out of this mess."

Laser shook his head, chuckling as well. "She's as crazy as you are sometime, you know that? Must run in the family."

"It must."

They turned the last bend in the stairs, as Kobra kicked out the door, surprising the Draculoids waiting in the hallway behind. Using his newly-acquired blaster, Chemical joined the rest of them as they ghosted the Dracs beyond the door.

_Becca, we're almost out of here. We're going to get out of this alive, I know it._ Chemical smiled as the mantra repeated over and over in his mind. It gave him a surge of strength as he ghosted any Drac in his way, leaving a war-path of death behind him. Not that anyone in the group cared.

"Look!" Laser pointed in front of him as the last Drac fell. They all looked to see the hallway brighten up at the end. "We're almost out of here!"

"Good," Ghoul sighed as they ran forward, out of the artificially-lit hallway. "This place is depressing me."

"Imagine how I feel." Chemical could help but smile.

The hallway opened up into a grand entranceway. The morning sunshine was shining through the window of glass, onto the white marble floors. An elegant fountain stood in the middle of the floor, the water bubbling up and splashing into small pool in front of a large information desk.

"Fancy," Kobra muttered. "You'd think they were hiding something."  
The other two Killjoys shook their heads as they laughed.

"So now what?" Chemical looked around the place.

Ghoul quickly reached into one of the pockets in Kobra's pants.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Kobra punched Ghoul as his hand pulled a black box out.

"Your radio, that's the fuck," Ghoul rolled his eyes as he turned the thing on.

"What for?" Laser asked.

"We're giving the good doctor a call, that's what."

The sound of a laser being fired off echoed around the large room. It didn't nearly surprise them as much as the fact the radio in Ghoul's hand was shot cleanly out of it, sending it to the floor and shattering it into pieces.

"No one's calling anybody." A cold voice echoed in the room. All five of them raised their blasters, aiming in every direction as the thunderous sound of footsteps echoed around the room. Within moments, Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards alike came pouring out of the many hallways leading into the room.

"To the doors!" Party waved at the group as he backed up towards their only escape. The rest of them joined him as quickly as they could as Party placed his hand on the door handle.

"Chemical!"

A familiar voice echoed in the room as their white-clad enemies stopped filing in around them. Among the sea of white, though, they couldn't see the owner of the shout.

"Electric?" Chemical answered back, his eyes darting around the room. From the panic in her voice, something told him that something wasn't right.

His suspicions were answered a few seconds later as the sea of white parted, revealing a smiling Korse, blaster clutched in his hand. And standing not even five feet behind him was a terrified Electric Revenge, with a sword around her throat and a blaster to the head.


	46. We pause for a moment from our sponsors

_Hey everyone,_

_Sorry for the lack of updates in the past few weeks. Life has gotten completely crazy due to the end of the school year/finals/finding a job. If you haven't heard, I'm graduating from college on Saturday, so life has kinda gotten in the way of my writing. But I promise you that I haven't given up on Renegade Killjoy, especially now as we get close to the end. But just with the lack of time I've had, plus the fact I've been getting burned out due to all the writing I did this semester, my enthusiasm has dwindled a bit. So I do thank everyone for the kind words in the reviews of this story. They honestly help me move forward._

_ Wait, you haven't reviewed yet? Well, go ahead and leave a review, whether good or bad. I take either kind, as they both help me grow as a writer. But I promise there will be a new chapter coming…whenever I get time this week between finals, graduation, and moving out of my apartment and back home with my parents (there's nothing wrong with an adult moving back in with their parents, trust me)._

_ And once I get this epic finished, there's more to come from me. Hopefully the summer will be a bit more forgiving and give me the time to write. I've got another MCR fanfiction idea brewing in my brain that I hope to get to write soon as I finish up Renegade Killjoy. And I'm still wondering about that sequel, but it's pointing more towards a yes. Won't tell you what's in it though! Don't want to spoil the end of Renegade Killjoy._

_ As always, stay fabulous, Killjoys! Catch you on the flip side!_


	47. Kill All Your Friends

_A/N: Guess who's back? Sorry for the delay, but reality set in quickly after college Which for me equals less time to devote to writing I'm getting better at setting time aside to do so, which brings me back to FanFiction after a longer-than-planned absence. If you haven't seen my note on my author's profile, I'm planning on getting this story done before New Year's, which pretty much means you're going to get a chapter a day until the New Year. _

_For those of you who have just joined the party during my absence, let me say "hello," and thank you for reading and commenting on my story. Sorry that I never responded to reviews, it's been busy (as you can see above). I hope that you really are enjoying the story, and I hope you love how it will end._

_Merry Christmas everyone!_

Chapter 46: Kill All Your Friends

The radio sitting in Dr. Death Defying's lap sat silent, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. The feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn't helping, adding to the dread that kept building the longer the radio sat silent. There had been one small glimmer of hope; a brief squawk that amounted to him fiddling with the radio for a few seconds, only to be followed by static meeting his ears.

He sighed under his breath, gripping tighter at the thing that he wished would give them some sort of message. He didn't want to upset Grace, who was driving down the chaotic streets of Battery City. They passed crashed cars that littered the sides of the streets, the crumpled metal smoldering as engine fluids leaked onto the pristine concrete sidewalks. Other cars sped by the van while furious laser blaster battles ensued between them. A few times, an occasional Draculoid was seen running down the road, shooting backward as groups of rebels ghosted it on the streets.

Dr. D took a moment from his constant vigil over the radio to watch Grace out of the corner of his eye. He could tell that she was scared, the way she was biting her lower lip, the shaking her legs were doing as they barely reached the accelerator of the van. Living with the Fabulous Killjoys, though, had taught her a lot, especially about showing fear in the face of danger.

You just didn't do it.

"Dr. D?" Dr. Death Defying looked up as Grace's voice broke into the unintentionally imposed silence.

"Mmm?" he nonchalantly answered, once again inspecting the silent radio, wondering if he had at all turned it off at some point for the thousandth time.

"Are they going to be okay?"

"Who is?"

"Party Poison and Fun Ghoul and Electric Revenge and Chemical Skeleton and…" her voice became quieter as the list grew longer, only to break as tears began to make her eyes shine. She hurriedly wiped them away.

Dr. D wasn't sure how to answer her question. Not knowing what was waiting at Better Living headquarters was truthfully scaring him too. But he knew he couldn't say that in front of her.

"Dr. D?"

He looked at her as she halfway looked at him, trying to be a careful driver. He could see the fear in her eyes now, clouding them from the beautiful brown that always sparkled in the desert sunshine. Words were lost in his throat as he tried to think of something, anything to say to her. After a few tense moments of silence, he finally answered.

"I don't know, sunshine," he truthfully admitted. "But we can't let that stop us. It hasn't before, has it?"

Grace shook her head quickly, her brown curls sweeping back and forth across her face to punctuate her answer.

"I didn't think so. Now let's jet before S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W gets here."

_Hold on, motorbabies. We're comin'_

* * *

"What's that noise?" Rocket Revolver's hand squeezed tightly onto Techno Beat's as he slowed down. The group ahead of him slowed as well, listening intently as they looked around the hallway for the source of the sound. It only took a moment before Jet Star realized what it was just ahead of them.

"Come on!" he called, leading them further down the hallway. It had only taken a few moments, but he was dead sure that the sound echoing into their hallway was the sound of footsteps.

A lot of footsteps.

And that could only mean one thing.

They had barely made a couple of steps before a sea of white exploded from an intersecting hallway. Luckily for them, the Better Living soldiers were running ahead of them, but Jet knew that their more were likely on the way.

"In here!" he shouted to the group, pointing into an open decorative gap that sat in the wall in between two elevators. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to get all six of them inside before another sea of white passed by seconds later.

"What the hell is going on?" Neon Paint breathed, only to be shushed by the rest of the group. Nothing was uttered, not even a breath, as the sea of white passed by, intermixed with a flash of black. It seemed like forever, but eventually the hallway outside cleared.

"Could someone explain to me what just happened?" Show Pony spoke first in a hushed whisper. They all looked at each other in confusion, not sure exactly how to explain their situation.

The feeling lasted only a moment though.

"Chemical!" the shout echoed into the hallway from outside, causing everyone's stomachs to drop.

"Pika-chan!" Techno shouted as she nearly ran out of the alcove, only to pulled back in by Rocket and Jet.

Jet slapped a hand over her mouth, effectively stopping her squirming. "Shhh. There still might be guards out there."

"Electric!" They all heard Chemical's exasperated shout echo into their hiding place. Jet felt his stomach drop even further at the sound.

"This isn't good. Now what do we do?" Digital Ghost asked, taking a look out into the emptied hallway. Jet took a look as well, noticing that the army of Draculoids that had passed by them were now standing down at the end of the hallway where it opened up into the main entrance of the building.

"We need some sort of plan," Neon blurted out.

"No shit," Rocket glared at Neon.

"Shut up for a moment," Jet directed the comment at the two of them as he turned to look at the group, a million thoughts racing in his brain. They were running out of time quickly. And it didn't help that one of them was already severely injured.

"Neon," Jet finally spoke after a few silent moments, breaking the tension. "How did everyone get here?"

"Me and Digital have a jeep that we used. But Dr. D also had his van, but he's only on the outskirts of town, and we have no way to get in contact with him."

"That's not true," Techno interjected. "There's an emergency radio in the back of the jeep. I thought it might be a good idea to have a backup."

"Good. Where did you park?"

"The service parking garage." Neon pointed out into the hallway. "Not too far from here. Just down hall is the door to get there actually."

"Alright. Techno, Rocket, go get the jeep and call Dr. D. Tell him we need him here as soon as possible."

"But what about Pika-chan?" Techno lamented. "She's in serious trouble!"

"We got it handled," Jet placed a comforting hand on Techno's shoulder, causing her to look up at him. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise."

She nodded as he gave her a reassuring smile and small squeeze. "Now go."

"So what exactly do you have planned for us?" Pony replied as Techno and Rocket ran out of the alcove.

"I'm making it up as I go," Jet admitted, checking the charge in his stolen blaster. "Now come on. We're running out of time!"

* * *

"Electric!" Chemical shouted, running forward, only to stop as the sword was pressed tighter around his sister's neck by the grey-clad Asian woman behind her. Anger began to flood through him as he watched a small trail of blood slide down his sister's neck and onto her already blood-spattered leather jacket.

"You bastard!" Chemical's vision started to turn red as he tightened the grip on his stolen blaster before rushing forward. "I swear to god I'll kill you!" He began to rush forward only to find himself being restrained by the four zone runners, as well as looking down the sights of hundreds of laser blasters.

"I'd calm yourself, 351624," Korse scolded in a sickingly gentle manner, "otherwise…" A sharp intake of breath diverted Chemical's attention from the devil in front of him back to his sister, fighting back tears as the katana blade unleashed another trickle of blood.

"Lower your weapon, and then we can talk."

Chemical's mind raced, figuring out the best possible scenario in this hopeless situation. The realization began to dawn that they weren't going to get out of this alive, save for a miracle.

And miracles didn't happen. Not in this day and age.

His attention was diverted again as another squeak filled with pain echoed across the pristine entranceway.

"All right," Chemical shouted, letting his stolen blaster hang loosely in his grip. "All right. I'll play by your rules Korse." The stolen blaster clanged to the floor, sending a chill down his spine. He was sealing their fates; the ones he had guaranteed to protect.

"That goes for all of you zone runners."

Chemical heard a few grumbles around him, but soon four more clangs of relinquished blasters echoed in the room.

"I guess you zone runners can be negotiable, under the right circumstances. Something your parents never quite understood, 351624."

"Let's cut the crap, Korse. What do you want?"

A cackle of laughter escaped Korse's lips as he began pacing around the corralled zone runners, backing the group against one another. "What do I want? I don't think anyone like you has ever asked me that before." He began to move closer, much to Chemical's discomfort.

"I think you know exactly what I want. Unfortunately, it's not beneficial for you and your types. But it is beneficial for the survival of this company." Korse stopped his approach as he began to dig around inside an inner pocket of his grey suit coat. "So imagine my surprise when this was brought to me not even fifteen minutes ago."

Chemical stiffened as a rectangular black device was curled by Korse's spindly white fingers. From the audible gasps behind him and from his sister, he knew the worst possible scenario had come true.

"I was wondering what your parents had been planning. Though I don't know how well this would have worked anyway. The data your father stole was obsolete within six months. But no matter." The black flash drive fell to the ground with an innocent clatter before it met its fate underneath the sole of Korse's boot.

The hard work his parents and himself had compiled over seven years ended in seconds. The only opportunity to end the reign of Better Living, their only bargaining chip, gone.

They were as good as dead now.

"No!" Chemical heard Electric shout as she began to pull against her captors, trying to break free.

"Oh yes, Electric." Korse turned around, happiness in his voice. He slowly began to approach her. "Funny how history repeats itself. Weren't we doing the same thing months ago, my dear? Too bad dear old big brother won't be able to save you now. Or the Killjoys for that matter."

With a wave of his hand, the Draculoids and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards surrounding the five swarmed upon them. Chemical threw a few punches as he felt his arms and neck grabbed, fighting to pick up the blaster he had relinquished minutes ago. In the chaos he could see Party Poison attempting the same thing, as well as Fun Ghoul and Kobra Kid. Laser Shot fought them off as best as he could, but the months of being in prison added to his already frail frame weren't helping his situation. Draculoids grabbed his wrists, incapacitating him. But soon enough, the remainder of the group found themselves severely outnumbered. Each of them was forced down to their knees, wrists held against the back of their heads. Electric was forced to her knees as well, the katana blade staying put against her neck, stopping any chance of her fighting her captors.

"Now, what was it that I said to your parents all those months ago?" Korse approached Party, letting his blaster settle squarely in the middle of his forehead. Chemical could feel the edge of his guard's blaster aim squarely at the back of his own head. "Oh yes, what I say to all 'Exterminate' candidates: as Chief Exterminator of the Zones, I hereby sentence Party Poison, Kobra Kid, Fun Ghoul, Electric Revenge, Chemical Skeleton and Laser Shot to death based upon the charge of murder…and treason."

The sound of blasters charging echoed, causing Chemical's eyes skyward. For if there was a god and heaven, he was surely going to try to beg for mercy before being cast into hell. But instead, some shadows on the ledge of the balcony above them caught his attention.

Some strangely human-shaped shadows, sitting crouched on the railing. He looked back down at his sister, hoping to give her one last reassuring look. But instead, he found her looking wide-eyed over his shoulder.

"Any last words?"


	48. Destroya

_A/N: So, my goal of getting this done by New Year's kinda failed on me. But I am making progress on getting chapters done. I guess blame it on the perfectionism that I have, combined with a bit of writer's block. But nevertheless, enjoy!_

Chapter 47: Destroya

The last thing Electric Revenge remembered was the sight of a rusted van barreling towards the plate glass windows of the entranceway and the sound of shards of glass raining down upon the surprised group of Draculoids and zone runners alike. Time seemed to slow as the group around them reacted in sheer surprise to a speeding van leaving the road and crash landing into the front entrance. Through the daze of the chaos around her and the pain coursing through her body, she could feel the Drac holding her down on her knees loosen his grip.

And then her hand had brushed her long-forgotten blaster still sitting in her holster.

In a moment of clear consciousness she pushed against the strong hand of the Draculoid. She could feel his arm bend unnaturally in its surprise. A shriek of surprise came from Isoda as the Drac fell on top of her, knocking away the katana she had taken from Electric. The sound of steel hitting the marble floor broke through the noise around. And without thinking about the injury on her left arm, she reached out for it. The pain from the swordfight earlier still was fresh enough to shoot pain through her upper arm, but she fought through it as her hand closed around the hilt of her parents' sword.

"Electric!" She felt herself enveloped in the strong arms of Chemical Skeleton as his panicked voice reached her ears. "Are you all right?"

"Chem." Electric could feel herself relax in his arms, taking in his presence around her. After weeks of running in the desert, barely surviving, she never thought she would see him again, never be enveloped in his protective presence.

_But we're not out of danger yet._

As if on cue, the hairs on the back of her neck began to tingle. She felt Chemical's arms become tighter around her as his breath caught in his throat. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the Drac she had knocked down before grab its blaster, charging it for a killing blow.

_WHACK!_

The Drac grunted as its blaster fell to the floor before grabbing its hand in pain. Another _WHACK_ made contact as a blur passed by Electric's vision. Within seconds the Drac found itself on the floor, withering in pain.

"Electric, are you okay?" Electric twisted herself around to see Neon Paint looking down upon the two siblings. Electric eyes traveled down to a spray-painted striped stick sitting in Neon's hand to the Drac still on the floor in pain.

"Come on, we gotta move," Electric felt herself being pulled to her feet by Chemical. Finally standing, she could see the battle that had broken out between zone runners and Better Living. She could see Jet Star, Show Pony and Digital Ghost making their way through the throngs of Draculoids, blasting anyone that got in their way. As she turned to follow her brother and Neon, she could see the Kobra Kid and Laser Shot working on getting Dr. Death Defying's van out of the twisted metal that once held up the plate glass. Fun Ghoul was holding off the hordes of Dracs and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W guards as the three of them made it to the van.

"You guys okay?" Ghoul asked.

"As good as we can be," Neon shouted, pulling out her own neon-painted blaster.

"There's no way we're going to get all of us out of here in Dr. D's van," Ghoul pointed out.

"Techno and Rocket are grabbing Neon's jeep," Jet explained, having just run up to the group at that moment. "They should be here any moment."

"Where's Party Poison?" Electric spoke up, concerned she couldn't see the red-headed leader around them. Her eyes began to scan the sea of white and black, looking for the abnormal shock of red.

"Over there!" Electric followed Neon's outstretched arm, pointing off in the distance towards the sparkling fountain. Party was on his knees, clawing at Korse's skeleton hands encircled around his throat. What scared her the most, however, was the hungry, manic look in Korse's eyes. Every nerve in her body screamed out as her hands tightened around the blade in her hands.

"Electric!"

She could hear Chemical's voice behind her as she ran back into the crowd of Dracs and S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/Ws. Any enemy in her way was cut down before they had a chance to shoot. She was running on sheer adrenaline and fear now. There was nothing to stop her from saving the man that had saved her.

The metal blade whistled through the air before she felt it make contact with Korse's arm. A growl of pain escaped Korse as his hand released from Party's neck. It took a swift kick to Korse's knee by Party to become completely free.

But Electric didn't notice that. Her focus was on the sparking wires spilling out of Korse's cut arm as blood soaked onto his grey blazer.

"What the…?"

Electric felt herself being pulled away from the angered Chief Exterminator before a laser whizzed past her face. She stumbled as her mind neglected to tell her feet to run, but Party's strong hand on her arm got her moving quickly. They weaved their way back through the crowd, throwing a few punches at Dracs that were too close for comfort. Dr. D's van had been redirected from its earlier crash and was revving its engine, while the back doors stood waiting for the final two zone runners, Ghoul and Chemical ready to pull them inside. Party and Electric put on an extra burst of speed before putting out their arms.

Electric winced as she felt her arm being pulled by her brother into the accelerating van, the wound on her arm still fresh enough to cause pain. She felt her body pitched to the right into the wall of the van as Kobra took a sharp left turn onto the street in front of Better Living Industries.

"Could you have at least waited until we were fully in?" Party commented to his brother while trying to untangle himself from Ghoul.

"Sorry," Kobra's voice barely made it to Electric's ears. The screeching of the tires and the loud engine as Kobra sped towards the exit of Battery City was almost deafening.

"Becca? Are you okay?" Chemical's face popped into Electric's line of sight, concern overshadowing as he reached out at his sister. Electric reached up herself, finding the side of her head that had impacted on the side of the van was covered in something sticky and slick. Her vision began to cloud as she looked at her hand, her fingertips covered in blood.

"Blaze…" Electric could feel her body tire as her brother's name barely escaped her lips. She felt faint, becoming weaker every second. She looked up at her brother, giving him a weak smile.

"You're okay."

And with that, she succumbed to the comfort of darkness with one thing on her mind: _We're going to be okay._


	49. My Way Home Is Through You

_A/N: Sorry once again for the delay. Still in the middle of a job search for a full-time job in between working part time in retail, which drastically reduces the time I have to write. Plus the fact that this chapter itself went through about three or four rewrites. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!_

_Stay fabulous, killjoys!_

Chapter 48: My Way Home Is Through You

It was an immense pain throbbing through her stomach that stirred Electric Revenge out of the dark. For a brief second she thought she was dead as her eyes opened up to darkness. She could feel herself tense up as panic coursed through her body. That was until a strong hand enclosed around hers. She turned her head, looking towards the welcome grip as her sight slowly focused. Her eyes moved, traveling up from the hand clutching hers until her eyes locked onto the exhausted hazel ones of her brother.

"Blaze," she croaked. Her throat felt like it was on fire as she tried to clear it.

"Shh, Bec. It's all right now. We're safe and sound." Electric felt Chemical Skeleton let go from her hand, followed by a shuffling sound as her left her vision for a moment.

"Here," Chemical passed her a bottle of water, which she hungrily took. "Go slow on the water. I don't want you getting sick."

She nodded, taking gradual sips. Within a few moments Electric began to feel a bit more coherent as she took in her surroundings. She was lying on top of a lumpy mattress, covered in a few threadbare blankets. Her jacket, boots and jeans were all lying neatly at the foot of the bed, her katanas and blaster lying on top of the folded clothes.

"We're at the diner," Chemical answered her inquisitive look. "We made it out of the city."

"What happened?" Electric wondered aloud. "I mean, the last thing I remember was pulling Gerard away from Korse…" Her face paled as she thought back to that terrifying moment in the middle of the Better Living atrium. "Where is Gerard?"

"You mean Party Poison? Sorry, I'm still trying to learn everyone's names out here," he added quickly as Electric gave him a puzzled look. "You got him out of there, though I think Korse did get a lucky shot at you."

"What do you mean?"

Chemical pulled up Electric's torn and bloodied shirt, revealing a new set of bandages wrapped around her stomach. "When you collapsed in the van, I noticed a lot of blood was coming from your stomach. Korse must have gotten a cheap shot off and nicked you right in the side. Of course, at the time I didn't know much about your previous injury."

Electric sighed as she unconsciously clutched at her older stomach wound. A slight shiver couldn't be helped as she thought back to the showdown at the hotel.

"It was a bit tricky with all the blood you were losing, but we managed to get out of Battery City without many Dracs following us. I think all of us were really scared you weren't going to make. At least we had the jeep with everyone else be able to draw off most of the Dracs while we got you back here safe."

Electric nodded, trying to comprehend everything. They had done it. They had successfully saved her brother and Party from Better Living Industries hands. A smile crept onto her face. It transformed into a laugh that was so hard that she nearly cried.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she wiped away an errant tear before glancing at her brother. "I'm just happy that you're all right." Without warning, she wrapped her arms around her brother, enveloping him in a hug that she truly meant. Chemical was surprised for a moment by the outpouring of emotion from his sister, but returned the hug himself. They sat there for a few minutes, taking in each other's comfort, grateful that this moment could be theirs.

"I'm so happy you're alive, Blaze," Electric choked out as they released their hug, not realizing that she had started crying again. "I thought I you were dead for the longest time."

"Yeah, well, being locked in prison with no way to communicate tends to draw those conclusions."

Electric rolled her eyes as she punched her brother in the arm. "You smartass."

"I see your language hasn't changed. Unlike your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Electric ran her fingers through the multicolored strands framing her face.

"Nothing," Chemical replied, running a hand through his cropped blond hair. The movement caused Electric's eyes to realize there was lasting evidence of her brother's incarceration.

"They cut your hair," she mumbled. Her hand grabbed onto his, stopping the nervous movement. Electric's eyes caught onto a poorly hidden black mark on the wrist of Chemical. She flipped it over, only to have her heart sink to her stomach.. The black barcode tattooed on Chemical's wrist stood out against the pale skin.

"What is that?" the question was a mere whisper.

Chemical pulled his wrist away, hiding the offending mark against his chest. "An unfortunate reminder of what I've been through," he bitterly spat.

Electric merely looked at him, tears starting to form around the corner of her eyes.

"Becca," he reached out towards her only to have Electric curl up away from him. He could see her body shaking as a few quiet sobs escaped. Chemical laid a hand on Electric's back, noticing her cringe as he began to rub her back. "What's wrong?"

She looked up slightly from her lap, tears flowing down her filthy cheeks as she hiccupped. "I'm…so…s-s-sorry."

"Sorry about what?"

Electric buried her head back in her lap. In between sobs he could hear incoherent words coming from Electric. He got up from the diner chair he had been sitting on for hours to be at eye level with his sister. It took some gentle prodding before Electric would look at him, her eyes red and glassy.

"Electric, it's not your fault what happened to me in Battery City. It was my choice to tell you to leave."

"But they permanently marked you Blaze." She was holding onto his hands again, letting her fingers run over the tattoo. "You're in their system now. They know you've been a prisoner, and probably know much more than they should. They'll know about mom and dad and us. We're never going to get away from Better Living again."

"Shhh, it's okay, Bec. We'll survive." He pulled her into a hug, letting her cry on his shoulder. Electric let out all the emotions she had been holding onto for weeks in those moments. Eventually the tears ended as she looked up at Chemical.

"Better?"

She nodded, wiping away the last few tears

A few more minutes passed before the two siblings released their hug as Electric wiped away the tears from her eyes.

That was until a rumbling came from Electric's stomach.

"Sorry." She blushed.

"Come on," Chemical helped Electric up out of the bed. "We should get you something to eat."

Electric slid on her jeans and boots before following Chemical out into the darkened diner.

It was then Electric noticed a lack of noise coming from outside the room the two of them were in.

"Where is everyone else?"

"Sleeping. It has to be almost dawn by now. You were out a good twelve or so hours."

"Oh."

"Go ahead and sit down. I'll go make us some breakfast."

Electric sat down on the chipping plastic bench as she watched her brother retreat into the kitchen. As she waited in the fading darkness, she couldn't help but pick at a few stray threads on her now-holey shirt out of boredom before adjusting it back over the bandages around her midsection. She even tried to dust off her skinny gray jeans before hearing a door swing open.

"Good, I'm so…." she looked up, only to see the bewildered face of Party Poison standing frozen across the room. Words failed Electric as the two of them stared at each other for a few stunned moments. The motel flashed into her mind, the scene repeating over and over in vivid imagery.

Especially the moment when she was shot…the moment she said she was sorry…

"Gerard, I…" Electric started, but Party put up his hand, stopping her words before walking over to the booth.

"You don't have to apologize for anything," he replied, crouching down to her eye level, placing her hands in his. She could feel him squeeze hers in reassurance.

"But I," Electric started again, only to be stopped as Party placed a delicate kiss on her cheek. She could feel herself blush as she placed a hand to where his lips had made contact with her dusty skin, feeling the warmth as her cheeks blushed.

"What was that for?" the words were barely a whisper as she watched his hazel eyes shine.

A throat clearing in the distance broke their attention away from each other to Chemical Skeleton, with two plates of rehydrated scrambled eggs and microwave bacon in his hands.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," he slyly raised his eyebrows as he set down breakfast. Electric just stuck out her tongue as she pulled a plate of food towards her before digging in.

"I let you two enjoy your food," Party replied, turning towards the kitchen.

"Why don't you join us?" Chemical inquired. "It's not a problem at all."

Party dismissed the though with a wave of his hand. "I'm about to head out on the final patrol of the night actually. Have to make sure nobody was able to track us back here. I'm just going to grab some coffee, but I'll be back in a bit."

"You better," Electric replied through a mouthful of eggs.

Party flashed her a smile before retreating to the kitchen. But the smile turned into a sigh as he grabbed the fresh pot of coffee Chemical had started.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he muttered to himself. He couldn't help but watch the two reunited siblings laugh at some unheard joke through the service window. Shaking his head, he slid his mask up over his eyes before leaving quietly through the back door.

_Was Korse right? Am I really in love with Becca?_


	50. We Don't Need Another Song For Cali

_A/N: Guess who's back! Sorry for such the long delay, but it took some time for me to find my voice again in my writing. I won't bore you with the details, but I hope that I'll be back for a good long time. Plus, it took awhile to get back into this story._

_That being said, I'm posting the final chapters back-to-back-to-back, with a little epilogue that may or may not lead to a sequel. You guys still want a sequel, right? _

Chapter 49: We Don't Need Another Song for California

By the time the sun had risen completely in the sky, the diner was bustling with activity. Once news that Electric was awake and alive, no one stayed asleep for long, especially after Techno's shout of excitement. Neon practically had to pry her off of Electric as Techno hugged her tightly in happiness. As breakfast and coffee was served to everyone, the conversation floated between topics. A majority of the time was spent on Chemical and Electric reliving their exploits since they were separated a mere month ago. Everyone around the table interjected with their own stories throughout, making it quite chaotic with eleven people trying to talk at once.

It was that chaos that Party returned to shortly after sunrise. At least four conversations were taking place around the diner, filling the room with laughter and excitement. A grin began tickling at the corners of his lips as he saw Electric chuckle at something Rocket was saying in a booth off to the side of the door. Electric noticed Party looking, giving him a small smile before returning to her conversation. His heart swelled inside him as that nagging voice in the back of his mind spoke up again.

_Korse is right. You love her. Don't deny it._

He shook his head, trying to dislodge the thought as he approached his fellow Killjoys sitting at the splintering bar. Kobra watched his brother walk over, concern flashing in his eyes as Party sat down on a bar stool. Party gave him a weary smile before looking back at the group sitting around the formica table.

"Where were you?" Jet asked, sipping on some coffee.

"Just out on patrol," Party sighed. "Making sure that no one followed us back here."

"And?" Kobra let the question hang heavily in the air.

"We're in the clear."

"Good." Ghoul replied, exasperated. "I don't want to see a Drac in a very, very long time."

"That might be easier said than done with this group."

The three of them looked at Kobra with a look of confusion on their faces. Kobra just shrugged as he sipped at his own coffee.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Party asked after a few uncomfortable moments of silence between the four of them.

Kobra sighed, shaking his head as he set down his mug of coffee. "Look at the size of this group now." He pointed over to the seven younger rebels sitting with Grace off in the booth. "Between breaking you out of Battery City and our already high price on our heads, we're not going to survive if they stay here. There's just no way we can have twelve people be together at the same time, not when a few of us are wanted dead or alive."

"Thanks for being so blunt about it, Mikey," Party snapped. Kobra just shrugged.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said. Wouldn't you rather make sure Korse doesn't find them?"

"But who says they have to go today?" Jet interjected. The three of them looked at Jet. "Why don't we give them a day to rest? I doubt that Korse is going to be right on our tails."

Kobra drained the rest of his mug of coffee before getting up. "As long as they don't eat all the food we just got a few days ago, I'll be happy. There's no way I want to even think about another raid at the moment."

* * *

"No, no, no. You need to hold you gun tighter, otherwise the kickback is going to knock it loose."

Electric chuckled to herself as she sat underneath the shade of the diner, listening to her brother teach Techno how to shoot a raygun properly. Chemical had made it his mission today to teach Techno how to shoot after finding out the poor girl lost her gun moments into her first fight with Draculoids. And considering she had been told by both Chemical and Jet to rest and let her injuries heal up today, this provided much entertainment as she polished her katanas.

"Hold it like this," Chemical held up his stolen white blaster, letting his hand relax around the grip of the gun. "Not too tight that it hurts, but enough to keep it steady. That helps if the situation changes quickly. Then take aim, and…" He let of a single shot, right into the center of the mannequin they were using for target practice.

"Blaze, stop showing off." Electric looked up from her finished blade, letting it glint in the noon sun. "And get out of the sun. You're going to overwork Mika."

"She's got a point," Neon replied from the back door of the diner before sitting down next to Electric. "Don't overwork the poor girl."

"If she can get off one decent shot, then I'll give her a break." He retreated back behind her, giving Techno a lot of room to shoot at the target. Her shoulders heaved as she took a deep breath before lifting her blaster up, keeping it steady on the chest of the mannequin, ready to fire…

"Guys!" Rocket's voice out of nowhere scared the four outside, causing them to jump and in Techno's case, caused her shot to misfire and hit the mannequin in a rather unfortunate area. Electric and Neon burst out in loud laughter as Techno blushed.

"Didn't think you hated men that much!" Neon managed to get out, rolling around on the desert sand in a fit of laughter.

Rocket cringed a bit before coming outside, followed by Laser and Digital. "Remind me not to scare you guys ever."

Chemical just sighed as he looked at the black mark sitting where the mannequin's lower extremity would have been located. "Lucky shot."

"If we could get serious for a moment," Digital started as the laughter quieted down. "We might not be out of trouble quite yet."

Electric stopped her giggling, looking up at Digital with a serious face. "What do you mean?"

"Take a look." Digital pulled out a tablet device, boasting some text on the screen.

"What's this?" Techno asked.

Digital he passed the tablet to Rocket. "Read it." Electric briefly saw the screen as it was passed along, catching a Better Living Industries header on the top of the page.

"To all Better Living personnel," Rocket began. "Yesterday morning, two prisoners escaped custody of S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W. Details are still vague at this point as the investigation continues. The following information below is classified and may not be divulged to outside sources, citing protocol blah blah blah."

"I don't think it says that," Laser tried to joke. He was met with stern faces as Rocket continued.

"The two prisoners, Killjoy rebels known as Party Poison, aka Gerard Way, and Chemical Skeleton, aka Blaze Moldovan, escaped via truck around 10:40 a.m., inside Better Living Headquarters. While the number of rebels that aided is unconfirmed at this point, we do know some of the identities of those helping with the escape. The remainder of the rebels nicknamed The Fabulous Killjoys: Michael Way, aka Kobra Kid, Frank Iero, aka Fun Ghoul, and Raymond Toro, aka Jet Star, have been confirmed as accomplices. Also confirmed at this point to have aided is Moldovan's sister, Rebecca Moldovan, aka Electric Revenge, as well as Moldovan's cellmates, Nick Gitto, aka Laser Shot, and Derik Sobrio, aka Rocket Revolver. All have been placed on Extermination lists and are wanted dead or alive.

"We ask at this time that all employees report anything that may help with this investigation to S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W. Any information that becomes a credible lead may result in a reward yet to be determined.

"Thank you. Have a Better Day."

"Holy shit," Neon breathed after a few tense seconds of silence.

"How did you find this?" Chemical asked.

"I've been keeping my eyes to the Inner-Internet," Laser took the tablet from Rocket, quickly working on it with a few swipes. "There wasn't anything in this morning's edition of the Battery City Times, so I suspected Better Living was going to send out a memo to employees to explain what happened. I didn't think they had this much information this soon."

An uncomfortable air settled on the group. Electric looked cautiously at every one standing around, trying to gauge the looks of shock on their faces. A panic began to settle in her stomach. Thoughts that had been dormant for days began to creep back into the forefront of her mind.

_They're coming for me. For us. What have I done?_

"Becca?" Rocket's calm voice broke through her racing thoughts. "Are you okay? You're not looking so good."

_Everyone is going to die because of you. You're a danger to everyone._

Electric shook her head, a little too violently as she began to take a few steps back from the group. "No…no…no…."

"Pika-chan?" Techno reached out to Electric's hand, only to have her recoil from the touch.

Electric looked up at the group, fear shining in her eyes. "I have to leave...now…"

Without warning, she ran into the open desert, away from the safety of the diner and the shouts of her friends.


	51. Party Poison

Chapter 50: Party Poison

The sun had begun to set over the sky as Party Poison drove along Route Guano. His eyes never wavered off from the horizon, looking for his destination. He could feel the adrenaline from earlier in the day starting to fade, his body growing tired. After Electric ran off, Chemical and Rocket had run after her as the rest of the group got the attention of the other Killjoys. Unfortunately, Electric had been long gone by the time anybody knew what was happening. The rest of the day had been spent trying to search for their missing friend in the expansive desert.

But there was one place that they hadn't looked, and Party hoped that Electric had found her way there. He pulled over to the side of the highway, making sure nothing was hiding behind the small hills of sand and rocks and scraggily trees. Deep inside he knew this was the spot. Electric had to be here. Climbing out of the car, he lowered his black and red checked bandanna from around his lower face, breathing in the warm evening air. It was quiet all around, almost peaceful.

The mailbox looked more colorful as Party strode over the hill. It had been a long time since he had visited the shrine. This place brought back some strong memories for everyone, especially for him. He looked at the paper mache skulls plastered to the side of the mailbox, remembering as he watched his wife first attach them years ago. She had an interest in the macabre like him, spending days making these skulls when they were hiding, "out of sheer boredom" she had told him. Of course, he had to flaunt his "fuck everyone" attitude, writing "Die With Your Mask On Fuckers" on the foreheads after they had dried. Who knew that years later he would still be living that motto?

He visibly shook the thought from his memory, sending his greasy hair into his face. Through the strands and sitting in front of the mailbox sat their missing Electric Revenge, staring straight at the mailbox while playing with the charms tied to the hilts of her katanas. He walked over to her slowly, making sure not to startle her. She ran off once already today, he didn't want her to do it again.

"I was wondering when you were going to find me," she spoke all of a sudden, looking over her shoulder at a stunned Party. Party closed his mouth audibly before coming back with a snappy retort.

"Well, there isn't much to run to out here."

She replied only with a huff before looking back at the broken candle holder in front of her. Half of a candle was lit, the small flame keeping Electric's attention. He sat down next to her, quietly watching her play with the charms in her hands. They sat in the sand, watching the flame on the candle flicker and move with the evening breeze. Eventually the candle flickered once more and extinguished, leaving a small trail of smoke that travelled up to the sky.

"I'm sorry for running off today," Electric finally mumbled. Party looked over to her. The long multicolored strands of her hair blocked her face on either side, but through it he could see her struggling with a lot of emotions. "I just…I just don't know what to do anymore. The last week has been …well, it's been unbelievable. And meeting you and the other Killjoys, Dr. D and everybody, I don't want to leave. But I don't know how long I'm going to be able to run. Blaze was captured; he's in their system. There's no doubt that they know everything about me now. They know my name! Korse is going to come after me and do what he did to my parents! And he'll do it to everyone else! I don't want to cause any more deaths. It seems that's all I'm good for anymore!"

Electric let out a loud sob after her rant, burying her head into her knees. Her body shook as more emotions surfaced, crying into the dusty denim of her jeans. Party laid an arm around her shoulders, sliding closer to her in the sand with a hug. She nudged closer, feeling the warmth of Party's body comfort her. The tears were hastily wiped away before looking back at him; her face was smudged with a mixture of old eyeliner and mascara, dirt and salty tears. Party couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he wiped away an errant tear off Electric's face. Electric found herself blushing as he did so, her cheeks warming under his caring fingers.

"So? That hasn't stopped you before. Every challenge, every problem you've faced, you've done so with a lot of courage and passion. You can't keep thinking about all your failures. All it's going to do is drive you insane, take it from me."

Electric couldn't help but relax as her eyes locked onto his. The words registered, making something click. Party was right. There were people, most likely still looking for her, that cared about her. _Why else would they risk their lives to save people they barely knew? _She couldn't help but grin at that thought.

"Sounds like you've had experience before."

"It's a long story."

Electric nodded, watching Party out of the corner of her eye. She could see that something was fluttering under the surface, maybe a memory or feeling.

"Hey, Gerard?"

"Yeah, Becca?"

"Did you see what came out of Korse when I cut into him the other day? It wasn't just blood. I could've sworn I saw wires sparking."

Party let out a long sigh, letting a hand run through his hair. He looked almost anxious. Electric bit her lip in nervousness as she waited for him to respond.

"There's been a couple theories that I've heard about why Korse is so relentless. It wouldn't surprise me with the advance of android technology in the past few years, Better Living would use it. It would explain quite a bit about him actually."

"So, what? Korse is some sort of human/android hybrid? How the hell do we fight that?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Party quickly got out a cigarette, lighting it up before taking a long drag.

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I just wanted you to know."

"It's alright. It's better to know now than finding out the hard way."

"I hope we don't run into Korse for a long time. I'd hate to see how angry he is after us escaping Battery City."

Party let out a short laugh, the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. "I'm sure the big wigs aren't so happy about what happened. We probably have a few days to regroup before patrols resume. It wouldn't surprise me if there were more."

"Then maybe it's best that we should head our separate ways. It would be easier to hide smaller groups of people than one large group."

Party let out a sigh as he let out a long drag of smoke. "I'd hate to admit it, but it would be easier. We've been talking about heading to a safe house for a while, until the patrols calm down, just in case the location of the diner has become compromised."

"This sucks," she huffed, placing her chin on her knees. "I don't want to leave. I wish the stupid Dracs and Better Living didn't ruin everything good."

"I know," Party started rubbing her back. "Damn, there isn't a day that goes by that I wish things were different. That I could be living the life back before we were forced into the desert and have to fight everyday just to survive." Party looked back up at the plastered skulls, the memories flooding back of him and his wife, his daughter. Electric looked up, following Party's gaze to look at the skulls as well, recognizing the look that was on his face.

"You lost someone important, didn't you?" she quietly asked.

"I did. It almost seems like a lifetime ago, almost a different life altogether."

"Can I ask who?" Electric immediately bit her tongue as she looked at Party, not knowing how he'd react to such a personal question. He looked over at her, not in anger, but in remembrance as he snuffed out his cigarette in the desert sand.

"My wife."

Electric's throat swelled. "You were married?" she barely choked out.

"Yeah. She was fucking great."

"Can I ask what happened?"

Party looked over at the mailbox, a hollow laugh echoing in his throat. "Korse, that's what fucking happened. Caught all of us off-guard as we were hiding in some run-down shack. I forget where. Last thing I saw was her running off with our little girl with the rest of the women and kids. It was getting too dangerous for them to be around us. He tore all of our families apart."

"Do you miss them?"

Party looked at the inquisitive teenager, his eyes shining as tears begin to form. He nodded, letting the tears fall down his dirt cheeks.

"Every damn day."

Electric looked back at the remaining stub of a candle she had lit before. She thought back to the first time she had visited the mailbox a few days ago.

"I miss them too. My parents," she quickly clarified."For the longest time, it was just the four of us. And when Korse caught up to us, and…" Electric stopped, wiping the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She took a shaky breath.

"It's okay. Take your time."

She took a few calming breaths, trying to stop herself from crying.

"Sorry," she replied a few minutes later. "I didn't think it was going to be this hard to talk about them."

"You never told us what happened." Party placed a comforting hand on hers, giving it a squeeze.

"I made a fatal mistake." The words came rushing out. "I fell for a stupid trap that Korse and his men laid out. They tortured me until I gave up where we were hiding. He made me watch them die." She let the tears flood out as her fists collided with the desert sand in frustration. "Why was I so weak, Gerard? Why didn't I just let him kill me then and there?! All I'm good for is getting people killed."

Party spun himself so he was facing her. His hands slipped over her wrists, carefully, keeping her hands on the ground. "Never, ever say that. You're important."

"No, I'm not," Electric cried, tears flying off her face. She tried to twist her wrists out of Party's grip, but he held fast. "I've never been important. Let go, Gerard."

"Not until you calm down. I care about you." Electric looked up at him. "There are 10 people back at the diner who care about you. Everyone spent the whole day trying to find you after you ran off."

"Why?" she whispered. "Why would they do that?"

"Why don't you ask them when we go back to the diner?"  
Electric shook her head. "They must all think I'm such a wimp running off like that."

"You were scared. I can't blame you for that."

"Still, I should be braver. Like you."  
"Can I tell you a secret?" Party was close to Electric. Their noses were barely centimeters apart. He could see the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes in the dimming light. "I was scared when they shot you at the hotel. I was scared when they were taking your brother and me to be executed. And I was scared when you ran off today."

Electric's eyes darted as she searched Party's own. "Why?"

"Because I'm just a man. I'm not a hero."

"You are to me," Electric whispered. "I love you."

She closed the gap quickly, catching Party's lips with her own. Catching him by surprise, it took a second for him to join. The kiss itself was sweet and innocent, nothing unnecessary. They separated after a few brief moments, both with looks of content and slight confusion.

"What was that for?" Party asked after a few awkward moments of silence.

"A thank you," Electric replied, "for everything you've done."

They fell silent again.

"I'm sorry," Electric got up quickly, pushing away Party. "That was really stupid of me to do that. I should really go…"

"Stop," Party grabbed onto her hand, stopping her frantic rant. She watched him stand up, still holding onto her hand. "You don't have to apologize for anything."

"But I just kissed you, after talking about your wife. Your daughter."

"I know."

"And you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? You're in love. I think I'm in love. We all show affection in some way."

He lowered his head, this time initiating the kiss. Both of them were more confident this time, the kiss lasting longer. They separated again, Electric giggling a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"Is that how you show affection?"

"Maybe it is."

Before Electric could retort, the radio clipped to Party's belt crackled to life. "Party? Party, come in!"

Party rolled his eyes as he heard his brother's voice frantically call out from the speaker. Electric suppressed a laugh as Party pushed the button to respond.

"What is it, Kobra?"

"Where are you? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Not specifically. I don't have a watch."

"Ha, ha, very funny." Electric couldn't help but let out a strong laugh as Kobra became annoyed over the walkie-talkie. "Did you find Electric?"

"She's right here next to me, in a pretty good mood now, I might add. Right Electric?"

"Do you miss me, Kobra?" Electric couldn't help but tease.

"For your information, you had everyone worried for you. But I'm happy Party found you before dark. Speaking of which, shouldn't you two be heading back before its pitch black?"

"We were just heading out, actually. Be back soon. "

"Good, because I'm not sending out another search party for you two. Kobra Kid out."

"Well, you heard the man. We should be heading back."

"Alright. Give me a minute." Party nodded, turning towards the Trans. Electric picked up her discarded katanas, dusting off the sand that had collected on the scabbards. As she clipped them back onto her belt, her hand brushed against the rosary hanging around the hilt of one. Remembering her first visit to the shrine, she crouched as she searched for the glass candle that she had strung her rosary around. Finding it, she picked it up. Smiling back up towards the sky, she placed it in the middle, in front of all the candle holders.

"I miss you, Mom," she spoke up to the sky. "And Dad too. But I want you to know that I think I'm going to be okay. Blaze sends his love."

With that, she lit the candle inside before walking back down the hill towards the waiting Trans-Am. And as they drove away, Electric couldn't help but feel the happiest she had been in a long time.


	52. The End

Chapter 51: The End

The diner was full of light and activity when Party pulled up to the building with Electric that night. The group was ecstatic to see their friend back in one piece and more like her old self. It wasn't much longer that Grace became sleepy and went to bed. And shortly after that, once Fun Ghoul and Jet Star broke out a secret stash of years-old beer and booze, stuff they had saved for a "special occasion" as Ghoul put it, the party really began.

The rest of the night was spent drinking as the group toasted to their success in Battery City, the reunion of the Fabulous Killjoys, and whatever else they felt like toasting. Electric and Chemical found themselves arguing who had it harder the last month, only to finally agree that both of them had the "shittiest month in existence." Neon attempted to drunkenly graffiti one of the manikins by the bar, eventually painting a very obnoxious smiley face on the butt of one of them. Techno, who never had heard of beer in the first place, couldn't stop giggling at everything that was being said after drinking a few. Digital and Laser eventually found themselves off in a corner, sipping at a few beers and chatting with one another very intimately. Rocket got into a deep conversation with Jet and Ghoul over the finer points of weapon modifications, as well as coming up with some crazy ideas to power up their blasters that probably wouldn't work in reality, but sounded really cool. Kobra loosened up a bit as he talked about previous fights with Dracs and Exterminators out in the desert with Electric and Chemical, ranking his top 10. Even Party joined in, not drinking as much as everyone, but still enjoying himself.

By the time the sun rose the next morning, everyone had passed out all among the diner. A few people made it to the mattresses in the designated bedrooms, but some curled up on the benches of the booths. Neon had found herself somehow on top of the bar, using one of the torsos of a manikin as a pillow. One by one they awoke as the diner heated up with the morning sun, much to everyone's disappointment and pain. Copious amounts of coffee were brewed to nurse almost everyone's hangovers.

That had been a few hours ago, as the diner now was being packed up, ready to be moved out. Electric stood near the doorway, watching her new friends pack up Neon and Digital's jeep. She sighed as she looked over her shoulder back inside, watching the Fabulous Killjoys pack up some essentials and make the diner look like it was uninhabited. It didn't feel right that they were trying to hide the fact that they were ever there, but it was for everyone's protection from any patrol that may stumble upon the place.

"You alright?"

Electric turned around to see Rocket standing underneath the overhang, out of the bright noon sunlight. She couldn't help but feel guilty about the folded red bandanna around his left eye, hiding the injury he sustained during the shootout in Battery City. "Yeah, fine."

"I know we've just met and everything, but I can tell you're lying."

She sighed, leaning up against the doorway. "You've been hanging with my brother too long."

"Come on Becca, you can tell me what's wrong."

She looked back inside, watching Party and Kobra throw sand on the floor.

"You're going to miss them, aren't you?"

She nodded as she looked back at Rocket. "I just wish we didn't have to leave like this."

"It's for everyone's safety. It probably won't be long before the Dracs come searching for everyone."

"Then I can't understand why all of you guys want to come with me and Blaze," Electric shouldered her bag before walking with Rocket to the waiting jeep. "You know that we're going to have Exterminators on our tail soon."

"Someone's got to keep you two out of trouble," Laser popped out from inside the jeep, scaring both Rocket and Electric. She threw her bag at him.

"You're going to kill me first if you pull that again," she replied with a grin.

"That should be the last of it," Chemical commented, walking towards the jeep. "We should get going before it gets too late."

"I suppose." Electric looked back towards the diner, watching the remainder of the group file out with last-minute items. She couldn't help but smile a little wider when she saw Party walk over.

"It's gonna be quiet without all of you kids here," Party replied, looking at the assembled group.

"Kids?" Electric raised an eyebrow at him.

"I say that with the kindest sincerity," he rebutted, flashing a grin. She shook her head in response.

"What are you two talking about now?" Kobra asked, walking over to the groups.

"If you must know, your brother called me a kid. I'm seventeen. I'm hardly a kid anymore."

"Well, if you want to be technical, you're not quite an adult yet," Kobra teased. "So it's fair to call you a kid." He lowered his voice so only Electric could hear him. "But you know being a 'kid' isn't all that bad." Electric giggled in response.

"I'm just about ready, Pika-chan," Techno ran over, throwing her newly acquired patchwork bag into the jeep. She sighed as she adjusted her goggles on top of her head. "I can't believe we're heading out further into the desert. There's not much out there, right?"

"Actually, you'd be surprised," Jet Star replied, walking up to the group with Grace in tow. "There are a few settlements out there that cater to rebel needs. Mechanics, shop owners, bars…"

"I think we may be staying away from the bars for a while," Neon blurted, a hand to her head as she walked over, goggles already placed over her eyes. "I haven't partied that hard in a long time. Reminded me of the underground clubs in Old Vegas."

"But without the drugs or murderous gangs," Digital interjected as he walked outside. "God damn, this sunlight is ridiculous."

"It's because it's after noon, in the desert," Rocket replied. "You better get used to it. And what is this about murderous gangs in bars?"

"A long story," Neon and Digital chorused.

"And I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk during the trip," Chemical interjected as he began to climb into the jeep.

"Let's at least say goodbye first," Electric replied.

"Please don't go!" Grace wrapped her arms around Electric's waist. Electric stumbled back a few steps after nearly being knocked over.

Electric hugged the girl back. "It's going to be alright. We'll be around the desert." She leaned down to whisper to Grace. "You know I'll only be a radio message away. Once Techno gets set up, you can call anytime."

"Really?" Grace looked up, hopefully.

"Of course. You can tell me how much trouble you're causing the guys. Promise?"

Grace nodded. Electric gave her one last hug before Grace ran over to Jet, a big smile on her face.

"Where are you guys heading then?" Rocket asked, adjusting his bandanna as he placed his sunglasses on.

"A couple different safe houses that haven't been compromised," Jet answered. "We'll be moving every once in a while to make sure that nothing is following us."

"Will Dr. D be back on air soon?" Techno asked.

"He's got some underground station that he built years ago," Party responded. "Knowing him, he'll be back on air tonight. But where are you seven going to go?"

"There's an old hideout I had before I was arrested six months ago in Zone 5," Laser spoke up. "It's not much, but we can set up camp there until we find somewhere more permanent."

"It's not compromised, is it?" Kobra inquired.

"Nah. I was arrested for starting a bar fight in Zone 2. Some zone-rat tried to pick my pocket. Turned into a full-out brawl."

"I didn't know you were a fighter," Digital commented.

"There's a lot we don't know about each other," Neon replied, sticking the keys into the ignition.

"Well, I think that's our cue," Chemical responded as he saw Neon begin to turn the keys. "Thanks again you guys."

The remaining rebels began saying goodbyes, giving hugs and handshakes with one another. Electric stood off to the side, watching her brother and her new friends say goodbye to the Fabulous Killjoys. She couldn't help but bubble with emotion as she smiled.

"Why are you so happy, Pika-chan?" Techno stood next to her friend.

Electric just beamed. "A week ago I was alone in the desert. Now I have my brother back. And so many friends, including you, Mika-chan."

Techno giggled. "Mika-chan. I like that." She paused for a second.

"I can't believe we're leaving."

"I know, but we need to get away from Battery City. I don't want to see another Drac for a long time."

Techno nodded in agreement as Jet Star walked over, Grace by his side. Techno silently gave him a hug before climbing into the jeep.

"Thanks again, Becca, for everything." Jet replied, giving Electric a hug. "It's been great having you here."

Ghoul hugged Electric next. "We really are going to miss you Becca. You've been a lot of fun."

Electric turned to Kobra next, giving him a sheepish smile."Mikey." To her surprise, he gave her a tight hug. All she could do was return the favor, until they heard the sound of a throat clearing.

"Sorry, Gee," Becca blushed as Party stepped forward. They hugged as well, tears forming in Electric's eyes.

"So I guess this is good-bye," she whispered.

Party shook his head as they stood face to face an arm-length apart. "No, this isn't goodbye. It's a see you soon. We need to lay low for a while as well. Once the Drac patrols have quieted down, we'll be back at the diner."

"I'm really going to miss you guys. I can't ever repay you for helping me."

"You don't owe us anything. You just keep fighting out there. All of you." He looked at the six assembled in the jeep.

"And stay out of trouble," Jet added.

"Yeah, don't do anything I wouldn't do," Ghoul winked, only to be elbowed in the stomach my Kobra.

"Come on, Bec. We need to go." Chemical offered his hand to his sister, helping her up into the jeep. Neon turned the jeep on, letting the engine rev a few times.

"All ready?" Neon asked over her shoulder, shifting the jeep into gear.

"As long as you don't drive like a manic down the highway," Digital quipped from the passenger seat.

"Really? You're going to give me shit now about my driving skills?" Neon started, looking over Techno's lap to Digital. "Who was the one driving through Battery City while being shot at?"

"This may be a long road trip," Rocket whispered to Chemical and Laser, who were sitting in the back seat.

Electric turned around in her seat as the jeep started to drive off, waving to the four men and little girl standing in front of the dilapidated diner. She continued waving until they were nothing but specks on the horizon. Turning back around, she smiled to herself as she looked at her older brother sitting next to her.

Looking up to the blue sky, she couldn't help but shut her eyes and let the heat of the sun shine on her face. She didn't know what the future was going to bring them, but she knew one thing.

They were renegades. Rebels. Killjoys. And they were going to be alright with whatever came their way.


	53. Epilogue

Epilogue

The car came to a silent stop, hidden away from the road. The sun had fallen behind the walls shielding the city from the harsh desert, casting the whole area in the darkening shadow of the evening. The industrial areas of the city sat so close to the outer wall that it proved to be a dangerous part of the city, even in the daytime. It was highly known that shady deals between Killjoys and city-dwellers took place out here, so it was often a highly patrolled part of the city.

Hence why the older-model white car that sat in the shadows didn't look suspicious as she composed herself in the rearview mirror before getting out. Her eyes swept the shadowed area cautiously, wary of anything out of place. She couldn't help but pull her black pea coat tighter around herself before walking towards the dilapidated building. Her heels echoed loudly across the ground as she made sweeping gazes around her. Stepping to the door she paused a beat before knocking three times, then five, then once. A few seconds later the sound of grating metal hurt her ears as the sliding door was dragged open, as a Draculoid-masked head popped around the side.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes," she curtly answered, stepping into the building. She bristled as the door was slid shut with the same grating sound.

"Sorry. This was the only place to meet that wouldn't draw attention," the Drac explained to her.

"Make this quick. I'm supposed to be meeting Exterminator Korse in a half hour."

"It'll only be a minute. We can talk freely here without any surveillance."

She looked around the place. Most was covered in shadows, except for a few lights illuminating a stainless steel table and a lone chair. The floor around the chair was splattered in a dark crimson color that sent shivers down her spine.

"Tell me again how you know about this place?"

The Drac sighed, removing his mask. He let his hand run through his cropped dark hair before he spoke. "Let's not get into the past, News. The less you know, the better off you'll be."

"You know it's Isoda now. Though I don't know why Korse keeps using my last name. Not when he keeps calling you James, Cherri." She flashed a grin in his direction.

"Oh no, don't you start pulling that on me," he warned jovially, sitting down on the table, his posture relaxing around his old comrade. "So, what's the verdict? Did you survive the review board?"

Isoda nodded. "They said they were impressed with my 'reconfiguration.'"

"Oh, they should be." James gave Isoda a wink. "You've taken to being a brainwashed lackey very well."

"I'm afraid I'm pushing it too hard," she confessed. "Am I?"

"Nah. I've seen Dracs come out a lot worse."

"So, what do we do now? The Killjoys are back in the desert, along with those other rebels I helped in prison. It sounds like they're planning on overhauling the security protocols because of this."

"I know. We just keep our heads down and keep playing our parts. Let things go their natural course."

"I still say we should get some sort of message out to Dr. Death Defying. Let him know what we're doing."

"I've told you before, it's too risky. They monitor every communication going in and out of that tower. And I'm not about to ruin everything I've achieved the past three years."

Isoda shook her head as she walked over to the door. "You know Kobra Kid hasn't forgiven himself for that day." She looked over her shoulder. "At least let them know you're alive somehow."

James placed his Drac mask over his head as he joined his cohort."Let's just get out of here before people start missing us. I need to start my nightly patrol anyway."

Isoda wrapped her coat tighter around her body as she stepped out in the dimming light. "Fine. I'll play it your way. Just please consider getting some sort of message out."

"Don't worry. We got this handled. We lay low until there's a way out."

"Or one of us ends up with a laser to the brain," she muttered, walking to the car. She watched as James made his way to his company-issued car, before it zoomed out of the parking lot and out towards the wall. She waited for a few minutes before she left as well, back into her new life as Korse's personal assistant.

"We're in way over our heads," she said to herself. "Prove me wrong, Cherri. Get us out."


End file.
